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
Companies like Loop Industries are pioneering advanced recycling techniques that convert waste into high-quality raw materials.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Companies typically pass along the higher costs from tariffs on goods and raw materials to consumers.
—Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
For cobalt and lithium, China produces far less raw material but dominates their refining processes, accounting for 68 and 72 percent of global capacity in 2022, respectively.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Halting activities in Delhi would in turn mean stopping the purchase of sand from Bihar as well as cement and raw materials from another part of India, which would then impact the labor and efficiency levels in those states.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
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.
Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Companies typically pass along the higher costs from tariffs on goods and raw materials to consumers.
—Damian J. Troise and Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2024
For cobalt and lithium, China produces far less raw material but dominates their refining processes, accounting for 68 and 72 percent of global capacity in 2022, respectively.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Halting activities in Delhi would in turn mean stopping the purchase of sand from Bihar as well as cement and raw materials from another part of India, which would then impact the labor and efficiency levels in those states.
—Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for raw material
Dictionary Entries Near raw material
Cite this Entry
“Raw material.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raw%20material. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share