materiell
material
Related to possessions, money, and physical goods, as opposed to intellectual, emotional, or spiritual values.
EXAMPLE
Er legte nie viel Wert auf materiellen Reichtum.
He never placed much value on material wealth.
materiell
material
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
materiell
material
Related to physical substance or matter; tangible, concrete. Often describes damage to objects.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem Unfall entstand zum Glück nur ein materieller Schaden am Auto.
Fortunately, the accident caused only material damage to the car.
materiell
substantive
In the legal sense: concerning the content of a legal norm, as opposed to the procedure (formal/procedural).
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht prüfte, ob die materiellen Voraussetzungen für einen Anspruch auf Schadensersatz erfüllt sind.
The court examined whether the substantive requirements for a claim for damages had been met.
Usage tips
False friend
Careful: 'materiell' (material) does not mean 'important' or 'relevant' in the way the English word 'material' can, for example in 'material witness'. In German, 'materiell' always refers to matter, possessions, or money.
EXAMPLE
Für ihn sind Freundschaften wichtiger als materieller Erfolg.
For him, friendships are more important than material success.
Word family
The adjective 'materiell' (material) is derived from the noun 'die Materie' (matter), which means 'material' or 'substance'. So it describes things that have a physical substance and are tangible.
EXAMPLE
Die Wissenschaft untersucht die Eigenschaften von Materie.
Science studies the properties of matter.
Fixed expression
A very common and important combination is 'materieller Schaden' (material damage). This expression describes only damage to objects and property, as opposed to personal injury.
EXAMPLE
Der Einbrecher verursachte einen hohen materiellen Schaden.
The burglar caused a large amount of material damage.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'related to possessions', 'materiell' (material) is often combined with nouns such as 'Werte' (values), 'Reichtum' (wealth), 'Sicherheit' (security), or 'Vorteile' (advantages). It is often contrasted with 'ideell' (ideal/non-material) or 'geistig' (intellectual/spiritual).
EXAMPLE
Manche Menschen streben vor allem nach materieller Sicherheit.
Some people strive above all for material security.
Register: technical language
The meaning 'concerning the content' is used almost exclusively in legal technical language. There, 'materiell' (substantive) forms the opposite of 'formell' (formal, concerning the procedure).
EXAMPLE
Das Gericht prüft zuerst die formellen, dann die materiellen Aspekte des Falls.
The court first examines the formal aspects of the case, then the substantive ones.
Compare with
materiell vs finanziell
financial
Both words can be used when possessions or goods are damaged. „Finanziell“ refers to the monetary loss or economic consequence, whereas „materiell“ refers to the damage to the affected objects themselves. Use „finanziell“ for costs and losses and „materiell“ for damaged things.
materiell
Der Brand verursachte materiellen Schaden an den Möbeln.
The fire caused material damage to the furniture.
finanziell
Der Brand war für die Familie finanziell sehr belastend.
The fire was a major financial burden for the family.
In real life
Loading video examples...