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

The same substance can appear as both liquid water and solid ice.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

This film is not merely glittering debris, as some have posited, nor is it style over substance; it’s a campfire story told by Thatcher’s unearthly orator.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Most common by far is injecting the gel-like substance hyaluronic acid - the same key ingredient used in lip fillers.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Cartridges fixed on the aircraft's wings contain a substance that, when dispersed, sticks to cloud droplets, making them heavy enough to fall as rain.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

There seemed to be no substance to the shadow Bahumat had emitted.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Ohl criticised the "biological view" being pushed online that the human body is "capital" to be exploited by taking chemical substances to improve one's physical appearance.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The brain has its own specialized immune cells, along with the blood-brain barrier, which restricts many substances and cells from entering brain tissue.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

If companies don’t submit notices, their substances could be prioritized for FDA scrutiny, according to the proposed rule.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Scientists no longer have to depend entirely on finding naturally occurring substances with useful properties.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

This property allows the neutron to be absorbed more easily in substances with a high hydrogen content, such as biological tissues.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

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