substantially
Americanadverb
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by an ample or considerable amount; quite a lot.
As a professor, my workload is substantially reduced or eliminated during the summer months.
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in a basic or essential way; fundamentally.
The new law mandates equal pay for substantially similar work, whether at the same establishment or not.
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in a solid or firm way; stoutly or sturdily.
In the far north, homes take more fuel to heat and also have to be built more substantially.
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in a corporeal or material way; physically.
The Eucharist makes the very Person of Christ truly, really, and substantially present in the consecrated bread and wine.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of substantially
Explanation
Substantially means "to a great extent." Your college fund was substantially increased by your grandfather's generous gift. What the heck, I'll throw in a quarter, too. Substantially is a good word to know any time you want to establish something's extent. It basically suggests "a large part." Your raise made your life substantially easier. The word also suggests an essential nature, as in "Nothing was substantially changed by the new law." The word carries a great deal of weight, as can be seen in this quote by Albert Einstein: "We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive."
Vocabulary lists containing substantially
John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
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Lee Surrenders to Grant (1865)
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Most Dangerous
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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.
Reduced hair volume or density was also substantially more common, affecting 42% of users versus 19% of the control group.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Treating the Lawson criterion as a single unchanging threshold overlooks physical processes that can substantially alter the requirements for ignition.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
White Fox's designs are "substantially identical with or otherwise deceptively similar" to Adidas, the company claims.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
This means the bill may have to change quite substantially before it can be approved, the person said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Because harsh sentencing is a major cause of the prison explosion, one might reasonably assume that substantially reducing the length of prison sentences would effectively dismantle this new system of control.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
