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I see more and more articles in scientific journals, where attributive nouns use plural. To me they sound really strange and non-intuitive.

'materials science' 'materials design'

To me they should be 'material science' in general terms. Is there a rule for this?

Marta Divall
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    It's the science of materials in general, not a particular one. Also, material can be an adjective (having a physical existence), which is not the intended meaning here. – Kate Bunting May 02 '22 at 14:21
  • You'll find that both 'materials science' and 'material science' are in common use if you check Google ngrams or a raw Google search. The ngrams show the plural-form attributive being twice as popular as the singular form. But you are right: singular-form attributive nouns are the norm. There are obvious exceptions such as sports car, sports hall, systems analyst, often emphasising a plural aspect. But the rule is: Check individual cases. – Edwin Ashworth May 02 '22 at 16:48

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