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substantial

[suh b-stan-shuh l]
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adjective
  1. of ample or considerable amount, quantity, size, etc.: a substantial sum of money.
  2. of a corporeal or material nature; tangible; real.
  3. of solid character or quality; firm, stout, or strong: a substantial physique.
  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.
  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.
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noun
  1. something substantial.
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Origin of substantial

1300–50; Middle English substancial < Late Latin substantiālis, equivalent to Latin substanti(a) substance + -ālis -al1
Related formssub·stan·ti·al·i·ty, sub·stan·tial·ness, nounsub·stan·tial·ly, adverbnon·sub·stan·tial, adjectivenon·sub·stan·tial·ly, adverbnon·sub·stan·tial·ness, nounnon·sub·stan·ti·al·i·ty, nounpre·sub·stan·tial, adjectivesu·per·sub·stan·tial, adjectivesu·per·sub·stan·tial·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for substantial on Thesaurus.com
3. stable, sound. 6. valid, important.

Antonyms

2. immaterial, ethereal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for substantial

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • He went back to his hotel, and feeling hungry, made a substantial meal.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • A tooth-mug of substantial earthenware dropped to the floor with a crash.

    The Black Bag

    Louis Joseph Vance

  • It is necessary to have one member of the firm solid and substantial.

  • Still, there was a substantial appearance of comfort and wealth about it.

  • The only substantial food at table was a great dish of game.

    Vivian Grey

    Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli

British Dictionary definitions for substantial

substantial

adjective
  1. of a considerable size or valuesubstantial funds
  2. worthwhile; importanta substantial reform
  3. having wealth or importance
  4. (of food or a meal) sufficient and nourishing
  5. solid or strong in construction, quality, or charactera substantial door
  6. real; actual; truethe 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
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Derived Formssubstantiality (səbˌstænʃɪˈælɪtɪ) or substantialness, nounsubstantially, adverb
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

Word Origin and History for substantial

adj.

mid-14c., "ample, sizeable," from Old French substantiel (13c.), from Latin substantialis "having substance or reality, material," from substantia (see substance). Meaning "existing, having real existence" is from late 14c.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper