English → Latin
“material, materials” in Latin
māteriamatter; material; component stuff; substance; timber; source, origincommentāriusmemorandum, notebook; diary, journal; a briefmāteriorto fell timber; to procure woodredivīvusrestored to life; renewed, renovated; secondhand
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
material, materials s.
PROP., (for building), materia (general term): capiae (for building): saxa et materia et cetera aedificanti utilia (for building): to furnish materials for building, materiari (Caes., B.G., 7, 73): old materials worked up again, rediviva, plur. A house built of bad materials, aedes male materiatae.
Figuratively, materia (of single points, to be worked up in a treatise, etc.): res (general term, things; opposed to verba): silva rerum (figuratively, a mass of notes, Cic., De Or., 3, 26, 103): commentarii (memoirs, historical materials): to collect materials, silvam rerum comparare: to leave behind materials for a treatise, etc., in commentariis aliquid relinquere (Cic.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for material, materials?
- The usual Latin words for “material, materials” are māteria, commentārius, māterior; also redivīvus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.