materially.

1. To a degree that makes a real difference to an outcome or judgment.

2. In terms of money, possessions, or practical resources.

3. In terms of physical substance or form rather than ideas or spiritual concerns.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• materially affect
• materially different
• materially misleading

On the page

The missing qualification materially altered the meaning of the quotation.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Invariable adverb. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, qualification. Commonness: moderately common.