substantial
Americanadjective
-
of ample or considerable amount, quantity, size, etc..
a substantial sum of money.
-
of a corporeal or material nature; tangible; real.
- Antonyms:
- ethereal, immaterial
-
of solid character or quality; firm, stout, or strong.
a substantial physique.
-
basic or essential; fundamental.
two stories in substantial agreement.
-
wealthy or influential.
one of the substantial men of the town.
-
of real worth, value, or effect.
substantial reasons.
- Synonyms:
- weighty, important, consequential, significant
-
relating to the substance, matter, or material of a thing.
-
of or relating to the essence of a thing.
the substantial parts of the ruling.
-
existing as or being a substance; having independent existence.
a substantial being.
-
Philosophy. relating to or of the nature of substance or reality rather than an accident or attribute.
noun
adjective
-
of a considerable size or value
substantial funds
-
worthwhile; important
a substantial reform
-
having wealth or importance
-
(of food or a meal) sufficient and nourishing
-
solid or strong in construction, quality, or character
a substantial door
-
real; actual; true
the evidence is substantial
-
of or relating to the basic or fundamental substance or aspects of a thing
-
philosophy of or relating to substance rather than to attributes, accidents, or modifications
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.
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.