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 millC. A. Koepke
broadly : something with a potential for improvement, development, or elaboration
perplexities are often the raw material of discoveries 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
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.
Hundreds of thousands of chemicals are manufactured by the chemical industry, which transforms raw materials – usually fossil fuels – into useful end products. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 Södra cited rapid currency fluctuations, geopolitical uncertainty and an imbalance between raw material prices—plus the sales prices of its products—as negatively impacting profitability. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Oct. 2025 By the 1980s, everyone from Madonna to Grace Jones and Blondie’s Debbie Harry was wearing their frames, which are hand-crafted in Domegge di Cadore, Italy, from the best raw materials. Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2025 Tariffs on exports to the United States can still raise prices for Canadians because the raw materials cross borders to produce finished goods, said Jeffrey Schott, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for raw material

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of raw material was in 1612

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Cite this Entry

“Raw material.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raw%20material. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

raw material

noun
: something from which a useful or desirable product can be manufactured or produced
wheat and rye are the raw materials for a flour mill
collect raw material for writing a story

More from Merriam-Webster on raw material

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