matériel

equipment, material

noun adjective mah-teh-ree-EL Less Common

Origin: Late Latin materialis (of matter), from materia (matter)

Also means

hardware (computing)

Usage Note

Matériel as a noun covers physical equipment, gear, or hardware. In computing, le matériel is 'hardware' as opposed to le logiciel (software). As an adjective (matériel/matérielle) it means 'material', 'physical', or 'financial' — des difficultés matérielles (financial difficulties). The plural matériels is used when referring to multiple types of equipment.

Examples

"Nous manquons de matériel pour finir les travaux."

Natural Translation

We lack the equipment to finish the work.

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