non-material
non-material — adjective
1. relating to things that have value but cannot be touched or measured directly in
relating to things that have value but cannot be touched or measured directly in money — for example, influence, reputation, services, or personal relationships.
Tariro believes that non-material rewards like respect and trust are more valuable than money.
collocation: non-material rewards
A company's brand reputation is one of its most important non-material assets.
collocation: non-material assets
The charity provides non-material help such as legal advice and emotional support.
Cultural exchange is a non-material benefit of international cooperation that is hard to measure.
- intangible
the most common synonym in business contexts; broader than non-material
- non-monetary
emphasises the absence of money rather than physical objects
- non-financial
focuses on the absence of financial value; often used in accounting
文法句型
non-material + noun
be + non-material
用法筆記
Frequently used in economics and business contexts to describe resources that are not physical cash or goods, such as know-how, brand equity, and goodwill.
常見錯誤
2. having no physical body or substance; existing only as a spirit, soul, thought,
having no physical body or substance; existing only as a spirit, soul, thought, or abstract concept, with no tangible form.
Many religious traditions describe the soul as a non-material entity that cannot be touched.
collocation: non-material entity
The philosopher argued that thoughts are non-material and not fully explained by brain activity alone.
Old Japanese folk tales tell of non-material beings that live in forests and rivers.
Ari's painting tries to represent non-material ideas like freedom and justice through abstract shapes.
- incorporeal
more technical; used in philosophy and law for things without a body
- immaterial
overlaps with this sense but also means 'unimportant' — can cause confusion
- spiritual
implies a religious or supernatural aspect that non-material does not always carry
文法句型
non-material + noun
be + non-material
用法筆記
Common in philosophy, theology, and discussions of consciousness. Distinguish from sense 1 (non-financial): this sense focuses on literal lack of physical form, not on value type.
常見錯誤
3. relating to people's feelings, sense of purpose, and psychological needs, as opp
relating to people's feelings, sense of purpose, and psychological needs, as opposed to their physical or financial requirements.
Anya's manager began to address the team's non-material needs like recognition and belonging.
collocation: non-material needs
The school's new programme focuses on non-material development, such as empathy and emotional resilience.
collocation: non-material development
Leo felt that his non-material well-being suffered when he stopped spending time with close friends.
Chiara's research shows that non-material factors like job satisfaction affect productivity more than salary does.
Ritu quit her high-paying job to pursue non-material goals like creative freedom and growth.
- emotional
simpler and more common; narrower in focus on feelings rather than overall psychological needs
- psychological
broader; includes mental health and cognitive needs
- spiritual
implies a moral or religious dimension that non-material does not always have
文法句型
non-material + noun
用法筆記
Predominantly attributive (before a noun). Common in psychology, human resources, and education. The noun that follows is almost always an abstract quality (needs, well-being, goals, development, factors) rather than a concrete thing.