adj
Meaning 1
Of the essence or essential element of a thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- substantive information
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: essential, in essence
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
substantive
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.
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US: /ˈsʌbstəntɪv/
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US: /səbˈstæntɪv/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: S AH1 B S T AH0 N T IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Of the essence or essential element of a thing.
Constituting the substance of content rather than its style, and thus always nontrivial.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Examples
- Substantive editing is never trivial, whereas some aspects of copyediting are trivial.
- substantive changes made by the lawyers
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: essential, in essence
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Having substance; enduring; solid; firm; substantial.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meaty, substantial
Antonyms: superficial, trivial
adj
Meaning 4
Applying to essential legal principles and rules of right.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
Examples
- substantive law
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: adjective, procedural
adj
Meaning 5
Not needing the use of a mordant to be made fast to that which is being dyed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: adjective
adj
Meaning 6
Depending on itself; independent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Of or pertaining to a substantive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: substantival
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 8
Actually and legally held, as distinct from an acting, temporary or honorary rank or appointment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, military, politics, war
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Ellipsis of noun substantive or substantive noun, a noun or a group of words (a noun phrase) that act as a noun (in a sentence).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: noun, noun substantive
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: noun
noun
Meaning 10
Part of a text that carries the meaning, such as words and their ordering.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 11
To make a word belonging to another part of speech into a substantive (that is, a noun) or use it as a noun.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: substantivize, nominalize
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 12
defining rights and duties as opposed to giving the rules by which rights and duties are established
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- substantive law
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: essential
Antonyms: adjective
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: substantial
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
being on topic and prompting thought
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a meaty discussion
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meaty
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 15
any word or group of words functioning as a noun
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: word
Narrower terms: noun
History
Etymology
From Middle English substantif, from Old French substantif.
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: съществен (sǎštestven) — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Finnish: oleellinen — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Finnish: olennainen — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Irish: ábhartha — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Italian: essenziale — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Latin: substantīvus — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Macedonian: су́штествен (súštestven) — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Polish: merytoryczny — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Portuguese: substantivo — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Portuguese: substancial — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Portuguese: essencial — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Spanish: sustantivo — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Spanish: substantivo — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Swedish: materiell — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Uzbek: ot — of the essence or essential element of a thing
- Armenian: բովանդակային (bovandakayin) — having substance and prompting thought
- Azerbaijani: dolğun — having substance and prompting thought
- Finnish: oleellinen — having substance and prompting thought
- Finnish: olennainen — having substance and prompting thought
- French: substantif — having substance and prompting thought
- Irish: ábhartha — having substance and prompting thought
- Italian: sostanziale — having substance and prompting thought
- Italian: concreto — having substance and prompting thought
- Macedonian: содр́жаен (sodŕžaen) — having substance and prompting thought
- Macedonian: зна́чаен (znáčaen) — having substance and prompting thought
- Polish: konkretny — having substance and prompting thought
- Polish: rzeczywisty — having substance and prompting thought
- Polish: faktyczny — having substance and prompting thought
- Polish: substancjalny — having substance and prompting thought
- Russian: содержа́тельный (soderžátelʹnyj) — having substance and prompting thought
- Ukrainian: змісто́вний (zmistóvnyj) — having substance and prompting thought
- Finnish: aineellinen — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Finnish: aineellisoikeudellinen — law: applying to essential legal principles
- German: materiell — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Hungarian: érdemi — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Italian: sostanziale — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Italian: materiale — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Macedonian: материја́лен (materijálen) — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Polish: materialny — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Russian: материа́льный (materiálʹnyj) — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Sicilian: sustanziali — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Sicilian: matiriali — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Swedish: materiell — law: applying to essential legal principles
- Bulgarian: самостоятелен (samostojatelen) — independent
- Bulgarian: независим (nezavisim) — independent
- Finnish: riippumaton — independent
- Finnish: itsenäinen — independent
- Macedonian: неза́висен (nezávisen) — independent
- Macedonian: само́стоен (samóstoen) — independent
- Polish: niezależny — independent
- Finnish: suora- — of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant
- Finnish: substantiivinen — of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant
- French: direct — of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant
- French: substantif — of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant
- Polish: niewymagający użycia zaprawy farbiarskiej — of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant
- Spanish: sustantivo — substantival
- Spanish: substantivo — substantival
- Finnish: varsinainen — military: actually and legally held
- French: titulaire — military: actually and legally held
- Polish: legalny — military: actually and legally held
- Portuguese: titular — military: actually and legally held
- Spanish: titular — military: actually and legally held
- Spanish: sustantivo — noun
- Spanish: substantivo — noun
- Spanish: nombre sustantivo — noun
- Spanish: nombre substantivo — noun
Real reading context