English Reference
adverb

materially

adv.
US /məˈtɪɹiəɫi/ UK /mətˈiəɹɪəli/ ma·te·ri·al·ly

  1. 01 C1 Advanced FormalAcademic

    to a large or important degree that changes the situation.

    to a significant or substantial extent; used to indicate that a change is large enough to be important.

    Simple

    The new evidence did not materially change the outcome of the trial.

    In context

    The board concluded that the proposed merger would not materially affect the company's long-term financial stability.

    Usage

    Commonly used in negative constructions like 'not materially different' or 'not materially affected'.

    insignificantlyslightly
  2. 02 C2 Proficiency FormalTechnical

    in a way that relates to physical things you can touch, rather than ideas.

    in a material manner; with respect to physical substance or tangible characteristics.

    Simple

    The two products are materially identical, even if the packaging looks different.

    In context

    Although the two substances appear similar to the naked eye, they are materially distinct at a molecular level.

    physicallytangibly

When a coroner ruled this month that the Treasury “materially contributed” to Chloe Moffat’s death , her parents breathed out in bittersweet relief.

The Guardian· 22 Aug 2026

And so it is worth wondering whether anything has materially changed here, beyond the fleeting opportunity for ambitious footballing executives to claim the keys to Infantino’s empire.

The Guardian· 5 Aug 2026

From Middle English materialy; equivalent to material + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English materialy
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated