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Synonyms

substantial

American  
[suhb-stan-shuhl] / səbˈstæn ʃəl /

adjective

  1. of ample or considerable amount, quantity, size, etc..

    a substantial sum of money.

  2. of a corporeal or material nature; tangible; real.

    Antonyms:
    ethereal, immaterial
  3. of solid character or quality; firm, stout, or strong.

    a substantial physique.

    Synonyms:
    sturdy, stable
  4. basic or essential; fundamental.

    two stories in substantial agreement.

  5. wealthy or influential.

    one of the substantial men of the town.

  6. of real worth, value, or effect.

    substantial reasons.

    Synonyms:
    weighty, important, consequential, significant
  7. relating to the substance, matter, or material of a thing.

  8. of or relating to the essence of a thing.

    the substantial parts of the ruling.

  9. existing as or being a substance; having independent existence.

    a substantial being.

  10. Philosophy. relating to or of the nature of substance or reality rather than an accident or attribute.


noun

  1. something substantial.

substantial British  
/ səbˌstænʃɪˈælɪtɪ, səbˈstænʃəl /

adjective

  1. of a considerable size or value

    substantial funds

  2. worthwhile; important

    a substantial reform

  3. having wealth or importance

  4. (of food or a meal) sufficient and nourishing

  5. solid or strong in construction, quality, or character

    a substantial door

  6. real; actual; true

    the evidence is substantial

  7. of or relating to the basic or fundamental substance or aspects of a thing

  8. philosophy of or relating to substance rather than to attributes, accidents, or modifications

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonsubstantial adjective
  • nonsubstantiality noun
  • nonsubstantialness noun
  • presubstantial adjective
  • substantiality noun
  • substantially adverb
  • substantialness noun
  • supersubstantial adjective

Etymology

Origin of substantial

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English substancial, from Late Latin substantiālis, equivalent to Latin substanti(a) substance + -ālis -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This volatile asset class comprises a substantial portion of the company’s financial assets, introducing significant speculative risk.

From Los Angeles Times

The firm attributed the increase to “substantial growth in personnel” to support the company’s long-term growth initiatives, as well as expenses tied to mergers and acquisitions.

From Barron's

While in most cases that is a recipe for substantial job cuts as the companies are brought together, Gordon said they were not planning for broad layoffs.

From MarketWatch

For decades, these same people paid substantial taxes, including combined Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, in addition to federal, state and local taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal

"In recent years, we have made significant progress in rooting out misconduct and driving substantial cultural change," he said.

From BBC