materieller

Materieller is a German adjective meaning material, physical, or pertaining to matter. It is derived from the noun Materie (matter) and the noun Material, and is used to distinguish tangible, physical aspects from immaterial or conceptual ones. In everyday and technical language, materiell describes properties, conditions, or items that are concrete and observable.

Grammatical note: materiell forms are inflected to agree with gender, number, and case. The base form is materiell. For example:

- Masculine singular with an indefinite article: ein materieller Prozess

- Feminine singular: eine materielle Entscheidung

- Neuter singular: ein materielles Objekt

- Plural with a definite article: die materiellen Bedingungen

The exact endings vary with the article and case, as with most German adjectives.

Usage and scope: In science, engineering, law, and philosophy, materiell often refers to tangible aspects as opposed to immaterial or abstract ones. In philosophy, it relates to materialism and discussions about whether matter or consciousness is fundamental. In law and administration, terms like materielles Recht (substantive law) or Beweismaterial (evidence material) illustrate the broad sense of the word as describing physical or substantial matters rather than procedural or formal ones.

Related terms: materiell is connected to Material, Materie, and the concept of Materialismus (materialism). It contrasts with immateriell (immaterial) and with concepts that emphasize abstract, conceptual, or spiritual aspects.

See also: Material, Materie, Materialismus, immateriell, substanz.