adj

immaterial

ih-muh-TEER-rih-uhl

adj

Not important or relevant to the matter at hand.

"Whether he liked the plan or not is immaterial — it's already been approved."

"The judge ruled that the witness's opinion was immaterial to the case."

Having no physical substance.

"Ghosts are often described as immaterial beings."

How to Use Immaterial

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither not physical, or simply not relevant to a decision or discussion.

Common mistake

In everyday use, "immaterial" almost always means "irrelevant," not "without a body" — that older physical sense is rare outside philosophy.

more immaterial comparative, immaterials plural, most immaterial superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

Whether he liked the plan or not is _____ — it's already been approved.

From Medieval Latin immaterialis, "not made of matter," formed from "im-" ("not") plus "material."

dial vial trial aerial serial filial denial medial racial social burial facial