Meaning & use
substantial
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Large in amount, size or value.
Grammar: Goes before a noun: a substantial sum.
Patterns
- a substantial amount of something
She received a substantial raise.
A substantial crowd waited outside.
The firm made a substantial profit.
adjectivecomparable
Solidly built or strong.
Grammar: Used for objects and meals: a substantial wall.
The old house had substantial stone walls.
He ate a substantial breakfast.
The bridge is a substantial structure.
adjectivecomparable
Real and of considerable importance, not merely imagined or slight.
Grammar: Often used for evidence or progress: substantial evidence.
Patterns
- substantial evidence
There is substantial evidence for the theory.
The students made substantial progress.
The two plans differ in substantial ways.
Word forms
| comparative | more substantial |
|---|---|
| superlative | most substantial |
Common combinations
- substantial amount
- A substantial amount of rain fell overnight.
- substantial evidence
- Police have substantial evidence.
- substantial progress
- We have made substantial progress.
- substantial majority
- A substantial majority voted yes.
- substantial change
- The law brought substantial change.
Synonyms and how they differ
- considerable
- Almost interchangeable for amount, but considerable stresses worth noticing while substantial adds a sense of solidity.
- significant
- Stresses importance or meaning, even if the amount is small.
- sizable
- Refers only to physical or numerical size, in a more casual tone.
- sturdy
- Describes strength in objects, without the quantity meaning.
Opposites
Word family
- substantially adverb
- to a large degree
- substance noun
- matter, or real content
- substantiate verb
- to prove with evidence
- insubstantial adjective
- lacking size, strength or reality
Commonly confused: substantial or substantive?
substantial vs substantive
Substantive means having real importance or dealing with real matters, while substantial usually means large or solid.
Practice
The company reported a ____ increase in profits, almost doubling last year's figure.
Choose one answer.
Substantial means large. Slight is the opposite, substantive means meaningful in content, and subsequent means following.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “substantial”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.