Standard Lemma guide

substantial

adj · noun · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /səbˈstænʃəl/
  • Mid-Atlantic, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 B S T AE1 N SH AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having a substance; actually existing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • substantial life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not imaginary; real; actual; true; veritable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1850s, Cardinal John Henry Newman, The Rise and Progress of Universities to do some substantial good, is the compensation for much incidental imperfection

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Corporeal; material; firm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having good substance; strong; stout; solid; firm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • substantial cloth
  • a substantial fence or wall

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sturdy

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Addressing the substance of an injury

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

Examples

  • Substantial damages (i.e. damages set at a level that exactly covers the plaintiff's losses; synonym: compensatory damgages)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Possessed of goods or an estate; moderately wealthy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a substantial freeholder

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Large in size, quantity, or value; ample; significant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He inherited a substantial amount of money from his uncle.
  • A substantial number of people went to the event.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: healthy, serious

Antonyms: none provided

8

adj

Meaning 8

Most important; essential.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adj

Meaning 9

Satisfying; having sufficient substance to be nourishing or filling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I don't just want a snack; I need something substantial.
  • Teddy had a few crackers in his backpack, but he needed something more substantial if he was to survive a three-day trek.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Anything having substance; an essential part.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective

Meaning 11

having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary- Shakespeare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the substantial world
  • a mere dream, neither substantial nor practical
  • most ponderous and substantial things

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: real, material

Antonyms: insubstantial

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

fairly large

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • won by a substantial margin

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: significant

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective satellite

Meaning 13

having a firm basis in reality and being therefore important, meaningful, or considerable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • substantial equivalents

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: substantive

Antonyms: none provided

14

adjective satellite

Meaning 14

of good quality and condition; solidly built

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a solid foundation
  • several substantial timber buildings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: solid, strong

Antonyms: none provided

15

adjective satellite

Meaning 15

providing abundant nourishment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a hearty meal
  • good solid food
  • ate a substantial breakfast
  • four square meals a day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hearty, satisfying, solid, square

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English substancial, substantiall, from Old French substanciel, substantiel and its etymon Latin substantiālis.

Across languages

Translations

118 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: maddi — having substance, actually existing
  • Bulgarian: материален (materialen) — having substance, actually existing
  • Bulgarian: веществен (veštestven) — having substance, actually existing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 物質的 /物质的 (wùzhì de, wùzhí de) — having substance, actually existing
  • Czech: hmotný — having substance, actually existing
  • Finnish: todellinen — having substance, actually existing
  • French: substantiel — having substance, actually existing
  • Galician: substancial — having substance, actually existing
  • Greek: ουσιώδης (ousiódis) — having substance, actually existing
  • Hungarian: lényeges — having substance, actually existing
  • Italian: sostanziale — having substance, actually existing
  • Japanese: 物質的な (busshitsu-teki na) — having substance, actually existing
  • Japanese: 現実の (genjitsu no) — having substance, actually existing
  • Māori: whaikiko — having substance, actually existing
  • Portuguese: substancial — having substance, actually existing
  • Romanian: substanțial — having substance, actually existing
  • Russian: веще́ственный (veščéstvennyj) — having substance, actually existing
  • Russian: материа́льный (materiálʹnyj) — having substance, actually existing
  • Spanish: sustancial — having substance, actually existing
  • Spanish: substancial — having substance, actually existing
  • Arabic: حَقِيقِيّ (ḥaqīqiyy) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Bulgarian: реален (realen) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Bulgarian: действителен (dejstvitelen) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 實際 /实际 (shíjì) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Czech: opravdový — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Finnish: todellinen — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Greek: ουσιώδης (ousiódis) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Hungarian: való — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Hungarian: valódi — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Japanese: 現実の (genjitsu no) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Japanese: 実際の (jissai no) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Russian: настоя́щий (nastojáščij) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Russian: реа́льный (reálʹnyj) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Russian: действи́тельный (dejstvítelʹnyj) — not imaginary; real; veritable
  • Bulgarian: веществен (veštestven) — corporeal
  • Czech: hmotný — corporeal
  • Finnish: todellinen — corporeal
  • Greek: ουσιώδης (ousiódis) — corporeal
  • Italian: consistente — corporeal
  • Japanese: 現実の (genjitsu no) — corporeal
  • Japanese: 実際の (jissai no) — corporeal
  • Russian: веще́ственный (veščéstvennyj) — corporeal
  • Russian: материа́льный (materiálʹnyj) — corporeal
  • Bulgarian: солиден (soliden) — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Czech: bytelný — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Finnish: tukeva — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Finnish: tuhti — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Galician: substancial — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Hungarian: szilárd — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Hungarian: tartós — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Irish: téagartha — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Italian: sostanzioso — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Italian: forte — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Japanese: 堅固な (kenko na) — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Japanese: 頑丈な (ganjō na) — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Portuguese: substancial — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Portuguese: substancioso — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Russian: про́чный (próčnyj) — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Russian: кре́пкий (krépkij) — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Russian: соли́дный (solídnyj) — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Scottish Gaelic: susbainteach — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Spanish: enjundioso — having good substance; strong; firm
  • Bulgarian: заможен (zamožen) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殷實 (yīnshí) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Finnish: vauras — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Hungarian: gazdag — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Hungarian: vagyonos — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Hungarian: tehetős — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Hungarian: jómódú — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Japanese: 裕福な (yūfuku na) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Russian: соли́дный (solídnyj) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Russian: зажи́точный (zažítočnyj) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Russian: обеспе́ченный (obespéčennyj) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Russian: состоя́тельный (sostojátelʹnyj) — possessed of goods or an estate
  • Azerbaijani: dolğun — large in size, quantity or value
  • Bulgarian: значителен (značitelen) — large in size, quantity or value
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大量 (dàliàng) — large in size, quantity or value
  • Czech: podstatný — large in size, quantity or value
  • Finnish: huomattava — large in size, quantity or value
  • Finnish: runsas — large in size, quantity or value
  • French: substantiel — large in size, quantity or value
  • German: wesentlich — large in size, quantity or value
  • Hungarian: tekintélyes — large in size, quantity or value
  • Hungarian: bőséges — large in size, quantity or value
  • Irish: suntasach — large in size, quantity or value
  • Irish: mór — large in size, quantity or value
  • Irish: nach beag — large in size, quantity or value
  • Italian: sostanzioso — large in size, quantity or value
  • Italian: considerevole — large in size, quantity or value
  • Japanese: 大量の (tairyō no) — large in size, quantity or value
  • Maltese: sustanzjuż — large in size, quantity or value
  • Portuguese: substancial — large in size, quantity or value
  • Russian: значи́тельный (značítelʹnyj) — large in size, quantity or value
  • Russian: суще́ственный (suščéstvennyj) — large in size, quantity or value
  • Scottish Gaelic: susbainteach — large in size, quantity or value
  • Spanish: cuantioso — large in size, quantity or value
  • Bulgarian: съществен (sǎštestven) — most important; essential
  • Czech: podstatný — most important; essential
  • Finnish: oleellinen — most important; essential
  • Finnish: olennainen — most important; essential
  • French: substantiel — most important; essential
  • German: wesentlich — most important; essential
  • German: essenziell — most important; essential
  • German: substanziell — most important; essential
  • Greek: ουσιαστικός (ousiastikós) — most important; essential
  • Hungarian: lényegi — most important; essential
  • Hungarian: alapvető — most important; essential
  • Italian: sostanziale — most important; essential
  • Italian: significativo — most important; essential
  • Italian: notevole — most important; essential
  • Japanese: 実質的な (jisshitsuteki na) — most important; essential
  • Portuguese: substancial — most important; essential
  • Russian: суще́ственный (suščéstvennyj) — most important; essential
  • Russian: ва́жный (vážnyj) — most important; essential
  • Scottish Gaelic: susbainteach — most important; essential
  • French: substantiel — satisfying
  • Italian: corposo — satisfying
  • Italian: sostanzioso — satisfying
Real reading context

substantial in complete knowledge articles