unmaterialized

Unmaterialized is an adjective used to describe something that has not yet taken physical form or has not become a concrete reality. It implies a state of potentiality, existing in thought, concept, or plan but lacking tangible substance. This term is often applied in various contexts.

In computer science, a value might be unmaterialized if it has been defined but not yet computed or retrieved. For instance, in database systems, a materialized view is a pre-computed result set, whereas an unmaterialized view is computed on the fly each time it is queried. Similarly, certain programming constructs might defer the creation of objects or data until they are explicitly needed, keeping them in an unmaterialized state to save resources.

In a broader sense, an idea or a plan can be considered unmaterialized until it is acted upon and brought into existence. A business concept remains unmaterialized until a company is formed, a product is developed, and sales begin. The transition from unmaterialized to materialized signifies the realization of something that was previously abstract or theoretical. The word suggests a state of being undeveloped or unrealized, waiting for the necessary steps to occur to give it form or substance.