What does rematerialize mean?
Rematerialize means to become material again or to bring something back into material form. The word is used especially in science fiction and fantasy, where a person, object, or environment may be dematerialized, dispersed, transported, or converted into information and later restored. Its prefix re- indicates repetition, so rematerialize differs from materialize by implying that the subject has previously ceased to exist in its current material state. In technical discussion, the term can also refer to reconstructing matter from a stored pattern or description. Although intelligible as an ordinary English compound, rematerialize is much less common in everyday speech than its shorter relative, materialize. Its distinctive implication is that material existence is interrupted and then restored, making it especially useful when describing reversible transformations, teleportation systems, magical reconstruction, or fictional technologies that separate a person from physical form.
verbTo cause something to become material again, or to become material again after being immaterial, dispersed, or represented in another form. The word is used chiefly in science fiction and technical contexts.
- To cause something to become material again after it has ceased to exist in material form.
- To become material again, especially after being dematerialized, dispersed, or otherwise transformed.
"The device can store a pattern of matter and rematerialize it later in the same location."
"The transporter was damaged, but the stored pattern allowed the crew to rematerialize safely."
"As the spell weakened, the vanished statue began to rematerialize stone by stone."
Science fiction has a clean undo button: rematerialization brings scattered matter back into the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of rematerialize
Rematerialize is a 20th-century English formation created by adding the prefix re- to materialize. Materialize ultimately comes through Medieval Latin from Latin materialis, meaning “of matter,” while related words such as materiality and immaterialize share the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How rematerialize is actually used
This is a relatively uncommon word, strongly associated with science fiction, fantasy, and discussions of matter transmission or reconstruction. It is more specific than materialize because it presupposes an earlier loss or transformation of material form.
Easily confused with rematerialize
Materialize means to become or cause something to become material, whereas rematerialize means to do so again after a prior change away from material form.