materiality

[ muh-teer-ee-al-i-tee ]

noun

, plural ma·te·ri·al·i·ties

1. material nature or quality.
2. something material.

Word History and Origins

Origin of materiality¹

From the Medieval Latin word māteriālitās, dating back to 1520–30. See material, -ity

Example Sentences

And, literally, across the street, you have Basquiat doing what he is doing, and it’s the opposite: It’s naming, materiality.

From Los Angeles Times

“Usually, shows of his work focus on his ethereality, like the ‘Monochromes’” — Klein’s single-color canvases — “but his show is anchored in the materiality and the tangible.”

From New York Times

He argued that the “materiality provision” of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was designed to prevent that.

From Seattle Times

National and state Republican committees argued the date requirement is useful in detecting fraud and that the materiality provision of the Civil Rights Act was inapplicable.

From Seattle Times

Perhaps to amplify the difference between analog and digital, the show’s savvy installation goes all-in on emphatic materiality.

From Los Angeles Times