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.

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

But perhaps the biggest impact of de-influencing is how it’s reshaping our relationship with money and material goods.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025

Giving Tuesday’s arrival days after Thanksgiving and Black Friday snaps us out of the funk brought on by consumption of food and material goods at peak levels.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2023

In their 1972 book, “The Limits to Growth,” the researchers warned that unless humankind changed the way it used and consumed material goods on a global scale, civilization would likely collapse before 2070.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 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