Materializes

Materializes is the third-person singular present tense of the verb materialize. It denotes the act of becoming real, tangible, or visible, or the appearance of something that was previously abstract or hypothetical. The verb derives from the French materialiser, from Latin materia meaning matter, with the modern sense expanding from turning idea into matter to turning plans or intentions into reality.

In general usage, to materialize a plan or goal means it comes into existence or is realized. In fiction, folklore, and popular culture, to materialize can describe a thought, ghost, or apparition appearing suddenly in the physical world. In philosophy and science, materialization can refer to processes by which abstract concepts or potential states are realized as concrete entities, though discussions often use more precise terms depending on the context.

In computing and data management, materialization has a specialized meaning. A materialized view is a database object that stores the result of a query as physically stored data for faster access. Materializing data can be done eagerly, by computing and storing results in advance, or lazily, by generating results only when needed.

Variant spellings include materialise and materialisation in British English, and the corresponding noun materialization. The concept contrasts with virtual or symbolic representations, where data or ideas are not yet stored or manifested in a physical form.