Meaning & use
substantive
Having real importance, meaning, or substance rather than being superficial.
See it in a sentence
The negotiators finally made substantive progress after weeks of small talk.
The professor wanted substantive feedback, not just praise, on his manuscript.
A note on using this word
Substantive is common in formal, academic, and legal writing to distinguish meaningful content from procedural or minor details.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “substantive”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.