substantiation

American  

[suhb-stan-shee-ey-shuhn] / səbˌstæn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, valid, or real; proof.

   The department may require employees to provide vouchers, receipts, or other substantiation for any fees or expenses claimed.

2. the act or process of establishing or proving the truth of something.

   For scientific substantiation of health effects, the nutrients in these vitamin capsules must first be accurately measured.

3. the act or instance of giving something material existence or concrete form.

   The protagonist is visited by a digital, partial substantiation of his late wife, awakening other ghosts from his past.

   The minister’s sermon was on Christ as the substantiation of God’s true love, true life, and true lineage.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsubstantiation
  noun
• resubstantiation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of substantiation

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin substantiātiōn-, stem of substantiātiō; see substantiate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

substantiation

In each case, the adverts were banned and the companies were warned future promotions must contain "a high level of substantiation" for any sustainability claims.

From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025

"We don’t think there’s any substantiation of the need to raise capital," said Kevin Fromer, president and CEO of the Financial Services Forum, which represents large global banks.

From Reuters ● Jul. 20, 2023

“A lot of the substantiation is a sentence or two: ‘I raise my animals humanely,’” said Dena Jones, director of the Animal Welfare Institute’s farmed animal program.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023

It is to the words inside as a gorgeous perfume bottle is to its scent: the substantiation of the contents.

From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2023

Nonetheless, most archaeologists pooh- poohed the idea, because there was no substantiation for it.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann