substance

American  

[suhb-stuhns] / ˈsʌb stəns /

noun

• substances
  plural

1. 

   that of which a thing consists; physical matter or material.

   form and substance.

2. a species of matter of definite chemical composition.

   a chalky substance.

3. controlled substance.

4. the subject matter of thought, discourse, study, etc.

   Synonyms:

   subject, theme

5. the actual matter of a thing, as opposed to the appearance or shadow; reality.

   Synonyms:

   essence

6. substantial or solid character or quality.

   claims lacking in substance.

7. consistency; body.

   soup without much substance.

8. the meaning or gist, as of speech or writing.

   Synonyms:

   pith, import, significance

9. something that has separate or independent existence.

10. Philosophy.

    1. something that exists by itself and in which accidents or attributes inhere; that which receives modifications and is not itself a mode; something that is causally active; something that is more than an event.

    2. the essential part of a thing; essence.

    3. a thing considered as a continuing whole.

11. possessions, means, or wealth.

    to squander one's substance.

12. Linguistics. the articulatory or acoustic reality or the perceptual manifestation of a word or other construction (distinguished from form).

13. a standard of weights for paper.

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idioms

1. in substance,

   1. concerning the essentials; substantially.

   2. actually; really.

      That is in substance how it appeared to me.

substance British  

/ ˈsʌbstəns /

noun

1. the tangible matter of which a thing consists

2. a specific type of matter, esp a homogeneous material with a definite composition

3. the essence, meaning, etc, of a written or spoken thought

4. solid or meaningful quality

5. material density

   a vacuum has no substance

6. material possessions or wealth

   a man of substance

7. philosophy

   1. the supposed immaterial substratum that can receive modifications and in which attributes and accidents inhere

   2. a thing considered as a continuing whole that survives the changeability of its properties

8. Christian Science that which is eternal

9. a euphemistic term for any illegal drug

10. with regard to the salient points

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substance More Idioms  

1. see in substance; sum and substance.

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Synonym Usage

See matter.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• substanceless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• substances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of substance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin substantia “substance, essence” (literally, “that which stands under, i.e., underlies”), equivalent to sub- “under, beneath” + -stant- (stem of stāns, present participle of stāre “to stand”) + -ia noun suffix; see sub-, stand, -ia; see also -ance

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Explanation

Any material that possesses physical properties is called a substance. The word also refers to the gist or main idea of something. If you remember the main point of a lesson, you've got the substance. The meaning of the noun substance has evolved over time, yet it has always been related to something sound and solid — from the Latin root substare, which means "to stand firm," to the Middle English definition as an "essential nature." Nowadays, we use the word to define someone who possesses honesty and intelligence, or when we examine a message to find its essence. To be thought of as a "person of substance" is a good thing, but to be thought of as a "substance abuser" is not so good.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

substance substances

How and why did the tide turn against this sticky substance?

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Los Javis prefer a bolder, blunter style, which turns the movie into a long parade of too-muchness that, in substance, ends up seeming not enough.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Regulation has been a challenge because it isn’t a controlled substance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

What archaeologists once regarded primarily as prehistoric glue may also have been a useful substance for protecting wounds, offering another intriguing possibility about the origins of human medical knowledge.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

At last, when the sun was low in the sky, a prisoner crew arrived with a great vat of some thick steamy substance that we gobbled ravenously.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Authorities are investigating a series of letters containing suspicious substances sent to congressional and election offices in several states, US media reported.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Louisiana office was evacuated after a staff member opened the package on Tuesday, but it has since reopened after law enforcement found no evidence of harmful substances.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

The agreement requires CVS to establish a hotline for employees and the public to report suspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

This gave gut microbes additional substances to break down, increasing their production of short-chain fatty acids.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

There are many layers of tissue, bone, and skin to keep it protected from the outside, but there's also a "blood-brain barrier" that keeps out many substances circulating in the blood.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

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