immaterial

American  

[im-uh-teer-ee-uhl] / ˌɪm əˈtɪər i əl /

adjective

1. of no essential consequence; unimportant.

2. not pertinent; irrelevant.

3. not material; incorporeal; spiritual.

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immaterial British  

/ ˌɪməˈtɪərɪəl /

adjective

1. of no real importance; inconsequential

2. not formed of matter; incorporeal; spiritual

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Other Word Forms

• immateriality noun
• immaterially adverb
• immaterialness noun

Etymology

Origin of immaterial

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word immāteriālis. See im- ², material

Example Sentences

Not everyone cares about the same things, but that doesn’t make the data immaterial.

From The Wall Street Journal

But his personal relationships are immaterial to our national interests.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s really almost immaterial if you look at our portfolio now in the U.S.”

From The Wall Street Journal

For true long-term investors with the stamina to let time and dividends compound returns of blue-chip stocks, chaos is immaterial.

From Barron's

That said, whether the flight you were rebooked on had a TV or not is immaterial to the legality of your situation.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• extraneous
• inconsequential
• meaningless
• trivial
• unimportant