Adjectives of material describe what something is made of, as in a wooden chair or a woollen coat. English also uses material nouns such as cotton, leather, and steel before other nouns, although these words are not always adjectives in the grammatical sense.
What Are Adjectives of Material?
You may have seen expressions such as a leather jacket and a wooden door grouped together as adjectives of material. Both tell us what something is made of, but their grammar is not quite the same.
Consider these sentences:
The carpenter repaired a wooden staircase.
She wore a woollen coat on the cold morning.
He bought a leather jacket.
The first two examples use adjectives. Wooden comes from the noun wood, while woollen comes from wool.
In the third example, leather is commonly treated as a noun modifying another noun.
Traditional grammar lessons often group all three under adjectives of material because they describe the same kind of information. That label is useful, provided we remember that not every material word belongs to the adjective word class.
Material Adjectives vs Material Nouns
English has more than one way to describe an object’s material.
Material Names and Related Adjectives
Some material names have related adjective forms.
| Material | Related adjective | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | wooden | a wooden bench |
| Wool | woollen / woolen | a woollen blanket |
| Silk | silken | a silken ribbon |
| Gold | golden | golden sunlight |
| Metal | metallic | a metallic finish |
| Glass | glassy | a glassy surface |
| Stone | stony | stony ground |
Not all these adjectives tell us what an object is made of. Wooden usually refers to actual wood, but golden can simply describe a color. Glassy and metallic often describe appearance, while silken can refer to silk or a similarly soft texture.
That’s why a silk scarf and a silky scarf do not necessarily mean the same thing.
Material Nouns Used Before Other Nouns
English often places a material noun directly before the noun naming the object.
She packed her clothes in a canvas bag.
A steel beam supported the roof.
He wore a cotton shirt to work.
Here, canvas, steel, and cotton are commonly analyzed as nouns used to modify other nouns.
Some material words, including plastic and ceramic, also have established adjective uses. Their classification depends on the word and sometimes its context.
English doesn’t always need a separate adjective form to describe a material. A cotton shirt is perfectly natural, while a cottony shirt suggests a cotton-like texture rather than necessarily identifying the fabric.
Common Material Words With Examples
These words frequently appear in descriptions of clothing, furniture, buildings, and everyday objects.
Some are adjectives, while others are material nouns used before another noun.
| Material word | Example |
|---|---|
| Wooden | a wooden bookshelf |
| Woollen / woolen | a woollen scarf |
| Cotton | a cotton dress |
| Leather | leather boots |
| Silk | a silk tie |
| Linen | linen curtains |
| Denim | a denim jacket |
| Velvet | a velvet cushion |
| Canvas | a canvas bag |
| Plastic | a plastic container |
| Rubber | rubber gloves |
| Nylon | a nylon rope |
| Polyester | a polyester shirt |
| Acrylic | an acrylic display case |
| Glass | a glass bottle |
| Ceramic | ceramic plates |
| Metal | a metal cabinet |
| Steel | a steel railing |
| Iron | an iron gate |
| Copper | a copper pipe |
| Brass | a brass handle |
| Gold | a gold bracelet |
| Silver | a silver necklace |
| Stone | a stone wall |
| Marble | a marble countertop |
| Granite | granite paving stones |
| Concrete | a concrete foundation |
| Brick | a brick building |
| Bamboo | a bamboo screen |
| Cork | a cork noticeboard |
| Paper | a paper envelope |
This is a reference list of common material descriptions, not a list of words belonging to one strict grammatical category.
Material, Appearance, and Finish: What’s the Difference?
Some words identify the material itself. Others describe a color, texture, or finish that resembles a material.
Gold vs Golden
She inherited a gold necklace.
The hills glowed in the golden evening light.
A gold necklace is described as being made of gold. Golden, however, can simply describe a color or appearance.
A golden object may be made of gold, but the word alone doesn’t establish that.
Silk vs Silky
He bought a silk scarf.
The fabric felt silky against her skin.
Something can feel silky without containing any silk. Silky describes a smooth, soft quality, while silk identifies the material.
Metal vs Metallic
The shed has a metal roof.
The car had a metallic blue finish.
A metal roof is made of metal. A metallic blue finish describes the appearance of a surface, not necessarily what the whole object is made of.
Wooden vs Wood-Effect and Wood-Veneered
These expressions are also worth distinguishing.
| Description | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a wooden cabinet | A cabinet described as being made of wood |
| a wood-effect cabinet | A cabinet with a wood-like appearance |
| a wood-veneered cabinet | A cabinet with a wood veneer over an underlying material that isn’t specified |
The same is true of other finishes.
Compare:
a gold ring
a gold-plated ring
a gold-colored ring
The first describes gold as the ring’s material. The second refers to a layer of gold applied to a surface. The third describes its color without identifying its composition.
Words such as plated, coated, laminated, and padded generally describe treatment, construction, or finish rather than the material itself.
How Material Descriptions Work in Sentences
Most material descriptions appear directly before the noun.
The museum displayed an ancient bronze statue.
We bought a bamboo laundry basket.
She placed the vase on a marble shelf.
You can also describe a material after a linking verb or with an expression such as made of.
After Linking Verbs
Some established material adjectives can appear after linking verbs such as be.
The frame is wooden.
The tiles are ceramic.
You may also hear:
The frame is metal.
Both wooden and metal can naturally appear in this position, but they do not necessarily belong to the same grammatical category. Wooden is an adjective, while metal is also used as a noun.
If you want to make the material explicit, you can say:
The frame is made of metal.
Made Of and Made From
Both expressions can introduce material information.
The table is made of oak.
The packaging is made from recycled paper.
The sculpture is made of marble.
Made of is especially common when the material remains recognizable. Made from is often used when the original material changes during production.
The distinction isn’t absolute, though, and both expressions are possible in many situations.
Material Words and Adjective Order
When several words describe a noun, material information generally appears close to that noun.
a beautiful old wooden desk
a small black leather handbag
an elegant white marble fireplace
In a beautiful Italian leather bag, beautiful expresses an opinion, Italian identifies origin or association, and leather identifies the material.
This order is common, though it isn’t an absolute rule. The broader pattern is explained in the order of adjectives.
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