raw material
noun
: crude or processed material that can be converted by manufacture, processing, or combination into a new and useful product
Wheat … is raw material for the flour mill …—
C. A. Koepke
C. A. Koepke
broadly
: something with a potential for improvement, development, or elaboration
… perplexities are often the raw material of discoveries. —Agnes M. Clerke
Agnes M. Clerke Examples of raw material in a Sentence
His experiences during the war were the raw material for the story.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some petrochemical companies in Asia, which gets more than half its naphtha from the Middle East, have cut output or declared force majeure in recent weeks due to limited raw materials.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Advertisement This is why focusing on food, raw materials and especially fertilizer may present an opening that energy politics does not.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Even if the raw materials for that dye were from a meadow, the colorant itself, in its liquid gold form, was carefully, lovingly synthesized.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
The biggest challenges lie in Scope 3 emissions, particularly in raw material sourcing and downstream processes.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for raw material
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Advertisement This is why focusing on food, raw materials and especially fertilizer may present an opening that energy politics does not.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Even if the raw materials for that dye were from a meadow, the colorant itself, in its liquid gold form, was carefully, lovingly synthesized.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
The biggest challenges lie in Scope 3 emissions, particularly in raw material sourcing and downstream processes.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for raw material
Cite this Entry
“Raw material.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raw%20material. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
