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.
Substantially higher loan rates have followed, making it harder for Americans to afford a home or a car or for businesses to finance expansions.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 23, 2023
Substantially understating your income could result in a pretty severe penalty.
From Washington Post • Mar. 10, 2023
Debate: Substantially mentioning protester's demands, agendas, goals and grievances.
From Salon • May 30, 2020
Substantially simplified amphibolurine cladogram, mostly based on the topology shown in Pyron et al.
From Scientific American • Jan. 17, 2014
Substantially, the same state of things, as far as circumstances permit, is reproduced upon Malaysia, Hindoostan, etc., and the interposition of arid New Holland upon the evaporating trade-surface may be distinctly traced upon south-western Asia.
From The Philosophy of the Weather And a Guide to Its Changes by Butler, Thomas Belden
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.
