Material cause

Material cause
Material Ma*te"ri*al, a. [L. materialis, fr. materia stuff, matter: cf. F. mat['e]riel. See {Matter}, and cf. {Mat['E]riel}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies. [1913 Webster]

The material elements of the universe. --Whewell. [1913 Webster]

2. Hence: Pertaining to, or affecting, the physical nature of man, as distinguished from the {mental} or {moral} nature; relating to the bodily wants, interests, and comforts; as, material well-being; material comforts. [1913 Webster]

3. Of solid or weighty character; not insubstantial; of consequence; not be dispensed with; important; significant. [1913 Webster]

Discourse, which was always material, never trifling. --Evelyn. [1913 Webster]

I shall, in the account of simple ideas, set down only such as are most material to our present purpose. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

4. (Logic.) Pertaining to the matter, as opposed to the form, of a thing. See {Matter}. [1913 Webster]

{Material cause}. See under {Cause}.

{Material evidence} (Law), evidence which conduces to the proof or disproof of a relevant hypothesis. --Wharton. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Corporeal; bodily; important; weighty; momentous; essential. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Material cause — Cause Cause (k[add]z), n. [F. cause, fr. L. causa. Cf. {Cause}, v., {Kickshaw}.] 1. That which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist. [1913 Webster] Cause is substance exerting its… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • material cause — Aristotelianism. See under cause (def. 8b). [1350 1400; ME] * * * …   Universalium

  • material cause — See causes …   Philosophy dictionary

  • material cause — noun Aristotelianism : something out of which something is made or comes into being …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cause — • Cause, as the correlative of effect, is understood as being that which in any way gives existence to, or contributes towards the existence of, any thing; which produces a result; to which the origin of any thing is to be ascribed Catholic… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • cause — cause, causal explanation In non specialist contexts, to ask for the cause of some particular happening is to ask what made it happen, or brought it about. To give a causal explanation is to answer such questions, usually by specifying some prior …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Material — Ma*te ri*al, a. [L. materialis, fr. materia stuff, matter: cf. F. mat[ e]riel. See {Matter}, and cf. {Mat[ E]riel}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies. [1913 Webster] The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Material evidence — Material Ma*te ri*al, a. [L. materialis, fr. materia stuff, matter: cf. F. mat[ e]riel. See {Matter}, and cf. {Mat[ E]riel}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cause — (k[add]z), n. [F. cause, fr. L. causa. Cf. {Cause}, v., {Kickshaw}.] 1. That which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist. [1913 Webster] Cause is substance exerting its power into… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cause — causable, adj. causability, n. causeless, adj. causelessly, adv. causelessness, n. causer, n. /kawz/, n., v., caused, causing. n. 1. a person or thing that acts, happens, or exists in such a way that some specific thing happens as a result; the… …   Universalium

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