Definition of immaterial

The term "immaterial" often used in philosophy and science, means not being made up of matter or substance that can be perceived by the senses. The root of this word can be traced back to the Late Latin "immaterialis", which was formed by combining the Latin prefix "in-" (meaning "not") with the word "materialis" (meaning "regarding matter"). This prefix "in-" in Latin is often used to negate or reverse the meaning of the word it prefixes. The Latin word "materialis" refers to something that is made of matter, or that has a physical or material existence. This combination of "in-" and "materialis" was used to emphasize the absence or opposite of this quality, resulting in the term "immaterialis". In Late Latin, this term "immaterialis" was more specifically used to describe things that exist only as a spiritual or intellectual entity, rather than having a tangible or physical form. This meaning has carried over into modern languages, where "immaterial" is used in the broader sense of meaning "intangible" or "non-physical". In this way, "immaterial" can describe concepts, ideas, and phenomena that are not perceived by the senses or cannot be explained by physical laws. In essence, the term "immaterial" is a contrast to "material" - things that we can perceive, touch, or measure through our physical senses.