material goods

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Historically, during periods of duress, societies turn to material goods instead of cash.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

While the relationship between money and happiness is typically framed as a choice between spending on material goods or spending on experiences, many Americans are expressing a different desire for their money: saving more.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 11, 2025

We can measure its realization in our own lives in a variety of ways, and often we tend to do so in terms of material goods.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2025

In addition to the shipment of material goods like agricultural products, precious metals, and spices, the transportation of enslaved people was also facilitated along Islamic trading routes.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

Whites had arrived, imposed centralized government, and brought material goods whose value New Guineans instantly recognized, ranging from steel axes, matches, and medicines to clothing, soft drinks, and umbrellas.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond