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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.

OpenAI needs substantial funding to continue developing its artificial intelligence models, paying for its vast computing needs and retaining top researchers in an increasingly competitive market.

From The Wall Street Journal

One question posed to Weiss, which is likely to loom over her tenure, is how much time does CBS News have to replace the substantial revenue still generated by traditional TV with digital enterprises.

From Los Angeles Times

Research has shown that shopping around with different lenders and comparing the interest rates and fees they offer can save buyers substantial sums of money.

From MarketWatch

“We continue to make substantial progress as we execute the most significant transformation in Southwest Airlines’ history,” said chief executive Bob Jordan in a statement with the company’s third-quarter revenue report.

From Los Angeles Times

Then, in January 2025, the publisher of the Sun agreed to pay "substantial damages" and issued an apology to the Duke of Sussex over claims of unlawful intrusion into his life.

From BBC