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

broadly : something with a potential for improvement, development, or elaboration

perplexities are often the raw material of discoveries

—Agnes M. Clerke

Synonyms

• making
• material
• stuff
• substance
• timber

Examples of raw material in a Sentence

His experiences during the war were the raw material for the story.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because sometimes that label means only that a product is assembled or otherwise finished in a U.S. facility but still includes raw materials, parts or packaging from elsewhere. —Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025

Another impact to the sector has been reflected in the prices of raw material. —Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 28 Jan. 2025

The indexes measuring price levels for purchasing and selling major raw materials improved in January — albeit still in contraction territory — Zhao Qinghe, senior statistician at the NBS said in a press release. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2025

This increase was attributed to a decrease in raw material costs. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

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