Physical goods (and their cost) used in the manufacture of a product, often separated into DIRECT MATERIAL (that which goes directly into the product such as cream into ice cream, or steel into cars) and INDIRECT MATERIAL (that which is used in maintaining the manufacturing environment such as cleaning fluids or oil for lubrication of manufacturing equipment). Indirect' MATERIALS' are usually part of the overhead component of cost. The term material, when used without the direct or indirect qualifier, usually refers to direct materials.
Barry Goldsmith
| APA | Barry Goldsmith. (2010). materials. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/materials/definitions/1157966 |
| Chicago | Barry Goldsmith. 2010. "materials" http://smartdefine.org/materials/definitions/1157966 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Barry Goldsmith 2010, materials, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/materials/definitions/1157966>. |
| MLA | Barry Goldsmith. "materials" 21 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/materials/definitions/1157966> |