as in spiritual
not composed of matter
Newton's laws explain the effects of nonmaterial forces on bodies
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Recent Examples of nonmaterial
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.
—
Werner Herzog, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
The author excludes them all, asserting that belief in any kind of nonmaterial, ethereal world lacks empirical support.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 2022
In another time, and another year, showing appreciation for your pals could come in many nonmaterial forms (like quality time), but a tangible gift during a time of great stress—and separation, as folks social distance—can mean a great deal right now.
—Lori Keong, SELF, 14 Dec. 2020
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.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
The real challenge in terms of 2022 earnings is going to be addressing inflation in other costs, so nonmaterial costs.
—George Stahl, WSJ, 12 Feb. 2022
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
An example of a nonmaterial breach is a landlord thinking their tenant is not cleaning enough, but nothing has been damaged.
—Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
Werner Herzog, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
The author excludes them all, asserting that belief in any kind of nonmaterial, ethereal world lacks empirical support.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 2022
In another time, and another year, showing appreciation for your pals could come in many nonmaterial forms (like quality time), but a tangible gift during a time of great stress—and separation, as folks social distance—can mean a great deal right now.
—Lori Keong, SELF, 14 Dec. 2020
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.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
The real challenge in terms of 2022 earnings is going to be addressing inflation in other costs, so nonmaterial costs.
—George Stahl, WSJ, 12 Feb. 2022
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
An example of a nonmaterial breach is a landlord thinking their tenant is not cleaning enough, but nothing has been damaged.
—Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonmaterial
Adjective
-
With Marxism tainted by its aggressive materialism, and mere democratic socialism so mere, anarchism could be imagined as a series of defiant spiritual acts.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
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Cambodia’s Art Come Home: Foreign institutions and collectors are returning artifacts with deep spiritual meaning.—
Hannah Beech,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Given the baroque language of the text, not to mention the metaphysical events within the narrative itself, Dieter’s exact exploits remain open for interpretation.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
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As in Dante, the metaphysical landscape is taken seriously and is carefully documented, as if the reader might someday go there and need to know the rules.—
Elisa Gonzalez,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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If reason teaches that God is incorporeal, this means that God has no body; God does not physically see, nor do people see God.—
Randy L. Friedman,
The Conversation,
16 Feb. 2024
-
The digital files are incorporeal.—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
9 June 2021
Adjective
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For the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, the amounts received were immaterial.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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Meanwhile, forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews sat out the team’s otherwise immaterial 2-1 loss to Sweden out of an abundance of caution, and Brady Tkachuk left the game in the middle of the first period after crashing into the cage.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Ansari answers crypto question with call for campaign finance reform Ansari’s candidacy was boosted by a massive expenditure from advocates of cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems.—
Laura Gersony,
The Arizona Republic,
17 Oct. 2024
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One of Ansari’s top financial backers was a group advocating for cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems.—
Laura Gersony,
The Arizona Republic,
3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The John Wick and The Matrix alum recently told Inverse that after years of attempts to make a follow-up to the gritty supernatural thriller, fans may soon see that vision come to fruition with headway being made in the creative process.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2025
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The project will participate in this year’s Co-Pro Pitching Sessions and promises to captivate potential partners with its unique blend of supernatural intrigue and high-stakes drama.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonmaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmaterial. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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