in substance
Idioms-
In reality, essentially, as in The Archbishop of Salzburg was in substance a temporal authority as well . [Late 1300s]
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In essence, basically, as in I don't remember all the details, but in substance this was the plan . [Late 1400s]
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.
That is, in substance, what the court approved here.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
Totally lacking in substance, with a gratuitous dance break – what's not to like?
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
“Not as just supported on paper, but that it’s supported in substance, too.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 28, 2026
After a 2025 marked by sweeping turnover among creative directors and numerous debuts, this Fall/Winter 2026 edition was more measured, in substance as well as in style.
From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026
Sir David Cardinal spoke next, and though I missed much of his speech, it seemed to be more technical in substance, and quite frankly, rather above my head.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
