What does dematerializing mean?
Dematerializing is the present-participle form of dematerialize, a verb describing the loss of material existence. An object, image, particle, or imagined entity may be dematerializing as it fades from a physical or tangible form; in transitive uses, the verb means to make something immaterial or cause it to disappear. The expression is especially familiar from science fiction and technical writing, where it suggests objects losing coherence or vanishing from perception. In more general prose, it can describe a document, identity, institution, or other presence dissolving into something less solid, though this metaphorical use often carries a faintly speculative or uncanny tone. The word is more dramatic and unusual than “disappear” or “vanish,” making it useful when a process of physical dissolution deserves emphasis. Its morphology is transparent: “de-” reverses materialization, while “-izing” marks an ongoing action. The result is a compact verb that can cover literal physical changes and evocative imagined transformations alike.
verbDematerializing means becoming less materially existent, especially vanishing from physical form; transitively, it means causing something to lose its material existence.
- Becoming less materially existent or vanishing from physical form.
- Causing something to lose its material existence or tangible presence.
"The holographic figure was dematerializing, its edges dissolving into the projector’s glare."
"The holographic figure was dematerializing, its edges dissolving into the projector’s glare."
"In the novel, an old machine can dematerialize any object before transporting it elsewhere."
In science fiction, dematerializing is more than a technical term: it is a character’s exit, stage right, into thin air.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does dematerializing come from?
Dematerializing was formed in English by adding the prefix “de-” to “materialize,” reversing the process of becoming or making material. The family of “materialize” ultimately derives from Latin materialis, meaning “of matter” or “material,” which is related to materia, meaning “matter.” Related English words include “materiality,” “immaterial,” and “materialization.”
Related word forms
How dematerializing is actually used
The word is especially common in technical, scientific, and science-fiction writing, where it often conveys a process of physical dissolution or loss of coherence. It can also be used metaphorically for the disappearance of a document, identity, or institution. The spelling is standard in both British and American English; British usage also commonly uses “dematerialising.”