Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

immaterial

/ˌɪ.məˈtɪ.ɹi.əl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.89 in modern English

Syllables
im-ma-ter-i-al
IPA
/ˌɪ.məˈtɪ.ɹi.əl/
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
5
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of the nature of the soul or spirit; spiritual.

noun

A being or entity having no matter or substance.

Countable

noun

A thing which is abstract or intangible; (uncountable) chiefly preceded by the: things which are abstract or intangible considered collectively.

Countable

Example Sentences

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English immaterial, inmateriall (“incorporeal; spiritual”), from Middle French immateriel (“not material”) (modern French immatériel), and from its etymon Medieval Latin immāteriālis (“not material”), from Latin im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’)) + māteriālis (“made of matter, material”) (from māteria (“matter, substance, material”) (from māter, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr, + ia) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship)). The English word is analysable as im- + material. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Prefix: im
  • Root: *h₂el-, immaterial, immateriel, immāteriālis, im-, *méh₂tēr

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˌɪ.məˈtɪ.ɹi.əl/
  • British English: /ˌɪ.məˈtɪə.ɹɪ.əl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more immaterial (comparative) most immaterial (superlative) immaterials (plural)

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce immaterial?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌɪ.məˈtɪ.ɹi.əl/.
What does immaterial mean?
Having no matter or substance; incorporeal.
Where does immaterial come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce immaterial

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “immaterial”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌɪ.məˈtɪ.ɹi.əl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “immaterial”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “immaterial” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.