1
as in spiritual
not composed of matter
it is only possible to study immaterial forces like gravity by observing their effects on the physical world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irrelevant
not having anything to do with the matter at hand
while undoubtedly upsetting, that story is immaterial to the question of why you are late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of immaterial
The challenge was to create something that feels almost immaterial, while still making a real shoe.
—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Portofiro and the baroque universe surrounding it—communists on-world, techno-fascists offplanet, and all manner of augmentoids and spooks in the immaterial planes between—can make for a dizzying read.
—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
If strict fidelity gets in the way, it can be treated as immaterial.
—
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Local women are invited to share still-raw memories, to grapple together with the kinds of things that would be immaterial to the courts.
—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for immaterial
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Portofiro and the baroque universe surrounding it—communists on-world, techno-fascists offplanet, and all manner of augmentoids and spooks in the immaterial planes between—can make for a dizzying read.
—
Alex James Kane,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
If strict fidelity gets in the way, it can be treated as immaterial.
—
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Local women are invited to share still-raw memories, to grapple together with the kinds of things that would be immaterial to the courts.
—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for immaterial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immaterial
Adjective
-
India’s religious and spiritual economy was estimated at roughly $58 billion in 2025, and is projected to grow steadily over the next decade.
-
Amid a host of synthetic textures, the batá grounds the record in its spiritual reference; only the twins’ perspective changes.
Adjective
-
Without ownership, documentation becomes a museum exhibit that may be informative but irrelevant.
-
No detail, no matter how incomplete or far-fetched, was irrelevant to their search.
Adjective
-
Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.
-
Christ Jesus’ example shows us how to turn away from material definitions of life by getting to know God as incorporeal divine Life.
Adjective
-
In both the real and metaphysical locations of the show, the backgrounds are all painted by hand, something which was pointed out took up a lot of time due to the number of paintings in the show and due to the number of montages.
-
In the 18th century Samuel Johnson coined the term metaphysical poets to criticize Donne, John Cleveland, and Abraham Cowley.
Adjective
-
Put simply, superheated plasma was being tested as fuel, but the temperatures melted any sort of solid container, so the experiments used nonmaterial vessels formed from extremely powerful magnetic fields.
-
The first part of the book is committed to a ground-clearing exercise, describing the various concepts of the nonmaterial soul that feature in many different religious belief systems.
Adjective
-
Dazzling Venus would be invisible due to its proximity to the sun.
-
Developed by Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary University of London, this new tactile system allows robots to see touch in real time by instantly transforming invisible mechanical forces into vivid, dynamic color patterns.
Adjective
-
An epic with supernatural and epigenetic overtones, this debut novel looks like a feast of a story.
-
Paul Dano is set to star opposite Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley in the remake of 1981 supernatural thriller Possession coming together at Paramount, Deadline can confirm.
Adjective
-
But too few of those ideas yield satisfying conclusions, resulting in a drama that becomes treacly and insubstantial, reaching for a profundity that remains elusive.
-
The wall was as insubstantial as a set on a film studio’s back lot.
Cite this Entry
“Immaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immaterial. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
