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

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

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

Although niacin is a vitamin, the researchers emphasize that high doses should not be viewed as harmless simply because the substance is widely available.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Wessex Water said their investigation had found "no issues" with any of their assets, while the substance did not pass through their sewerage network.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The account, whose posts mostly lacked original substance, "only gained popularity because its dubious, sordid content was narrated by the attractive voice of a popular actor," Tsuda's legal team said, according to the court records.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

On substance, one exchange between the two leaders concerned Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

It also yielded alkahest, the universal solvent—an agent that could eat through any substance in the world: glass, stone, metal, even diamond.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

We also get pork chops that were genetically modified to remove the alpha-gal molecule, the byproduct of efforts to produce safe pig-based substances for pharmaceuticals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

They include gas leaks, spraying substances to cover the smell of fumes and failing to properly maintain idle wells, among others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Wahba says obtaining licences to work with Schedule 1 substances can significantly delay studies.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

That finding suggests that substances other than caffeine may contribute to some of coffee's effects on cognition.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

He should definitely stick to easier things, like sewing people’s limbs back on or inventing new substances.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Related Words

• amount
• effect
• meat
• significance
• strength
• stuff
• subject