material letter

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "material letter" is correct and can be used in written English. You can use it in contexts where you are referring to a letter that has significant importance or relevance, often in legal or formal settings. For example, "The material letter outlined the terms of the agreement." Alternative expressions include "significant letter" and "important letter."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

To explore, whether the hormonal status of participants did also affect interference effects, a 2 × 2 × 4 repeated-measures ANOVA was performed on the interference effects with 'stimulus material' (letter, shapes) and 'direction' (global-to-local, local-to-global) as within-subjects factors and group as between subjects factor (compare Fig. 4).

Hormones and Behavior

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Dowling had access to previously unpublished material: letters and manuscripts as well as things like wonderful photographs of O'Neill's time at the Provincetown playhouse.

The Guardian - Film

In lieu of captions and explanations, a stash of archival material — letters, notebooks, books and magazines — is on display at the end of the exhibition to answer any questions.

The New York Times

It's real value for children lies in the use of original source material (letters and postcards) - a glimpse into the life of one young soldier who joined up at 18.

The Guardian

Though the displays in this portion of the exhibition concentrate on the architect's domestic projects and furnishings, they also include an introductory presentation of diverse material — letters, photographs, early sketches and drawings — relating to Saarinen's early life, training and work.

The New York Times

Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, and produced by the AOL executive Theodore J. Leonsis, the movie integrates two kinds of material — letters and journals written mainly by Western observers of the events and read by actors (including Woody Harrelson and Mariel Hemingway), sitting in a rehearsal room, and historical footage of the bombardment and slaughter.

The New Yorker

Details of his sojourn at the Medical College of Virginia (now part of Virginia Commonwealth University) in Richmond were divined from perusal of archival material, letters, and from the available literature.

World Neurosurgery

Attention condition (divided vs. focused) and stimulus material (letters vs. shapes) were included as possible modulatory factors.

Hormones and Behavior

Although we were mainly interested in whether the type of processing (asemantic vs. semantic) and stimulus material (letters vs. words) had an influence on the manifestation of numerical advantages, we had three further task-specific hypotheses, derived from existing approaches concerning visual matching [ 61, 62], semantic comparison, and fact retrieval [ 11, 12, 48].

Behavioral and Brain Functions

Black Diggers draws on both traditional archival materials – letters and diaries – of Indigenous soldiers, but also oral histories told through the generations.

The Guardian

Directed by Wesley Enoch and written by Tom Wright, Black Diggers draws on both traditional archival materials – letters and diaries – of Indigenous soldiers, and a rich vein of oral histories about the servicemen told through the generations.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In historical contexts, ensure it is clear whether you are referring to the physical 'material' of the letter or its 'material' (significant) importance

Common error

Do not use "material letter" if you simply mean a physical letter sent by post. In formal and legal English, 'material' implies that the letter is of significant importance to the outcome of a case or contract. If referring to a physical object, use 'hard copy' or 'physical correspondence' instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "material letter" primarily functions as a noun phrase where 'material' serves as an attributive adjective modifying the noun 'letter'. In scientific contexts, as seen in Ludwig, it often appears within structured experimental descriptions to define specific stimuli. In legal and archival contexts, it designates a piece of correspondence that holds substantial weight or evidentiary value.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While "material letter" is not a common everyday idiom, it is a precise term used across various professional domains. Ludwig data shows its presence in high-level scientific research and major news publications, often denoting either a stimulus material in psychology or an archival document of historical importance. In legal and business writing, it identifies correspondence that is central to a case or agreement. When using this phrase, ensure that the context clarifies whether you are emphasizing the significance of the content or the nature of the archival source, as this prevents confusion with purely physical descriptions of paper documents.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

significant letter

Emphasizes the importance of the content rather than its physical or archival nature.

important letter

A more common and less formal way to describe a letter with major consequences.

relevant correspondence

Often used in professional or legal settings to denote letters that pertain to the matter at hand.

substantial letter

Suggests a letter that is lengthy or contains considerable evidence and facts.

archival materials

Broadens the scope to include various types of historical documents beyond just letters.

key document

A more general term that could refer to a letter or any other vital piece of writing.

material evidence

Focuses on the legal weight of the document within a judicial context.

written material

A very general classification that includes letters as a subset.

formal communication

Stresses the official nature of the letter rather than its specific importance.

pertinent message

Highlights that the message is directly related to the current topic of discussion.

FAQs

How do I use "material letter" in a professional sentence?

In professional settings, you might write: "The "material letter" provided the essential evidence needed to finalize the contract terms."

What can I say instead of "material letter" in a legal context?

You can use terms like "relevant correspondence", "significant letter", or "material evidence" depending on the specific weight of the document.

Is it more common to say "material letter" or "letter of material importance"?

While "letter of material importance" is more explicit, "material letter" is often used in scientific literature and archival descriptions to categorize types of data.

Does "material letter" refer to the paper it is written on?

Rarely. In most contexts found in Ludwig, it refers to the relevance of the content. For the physical composition, use "physical materials" or "printed media".