How to Use substantive in a Sentence

substantive

adjective
  • There is no substantive reason to change the law.
  • No substantive changes were made to the document.
  • These changes are more symbolic than substantive.
  • The lawsuit deals with the interplay of the state budget and substantive laws.
    Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2023
  • The lawsuit dealt with the interplay of the state budget and substantive laws.
    Jim Saunders, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2023
  • For now, Cain is doing the best to try to force the Heat’s hand toward something substantive.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2022
  • There’s no space for substantive dissent within the system on this one.
    Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2023
  • Any substantive changes to the draft rules would be subject to another round of comment, meaning the process could last well past the summer.
    Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 22 Mar. 2024
  • All were endorsed by Trump, and all are largely aligned with Trump on substantive issues.
    Daniel Martinez Hosang, The New Republic, 9 Dec. 2022
  • Though the pain will be felt in the short term, the hope is that UMG’s stand will lead to substantive change that benefits everyone in the music industry in the long term.
    Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2024
  • The second challenge, brought by the states, resulted in a more substantive ruling.
    Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2023
  • Despite the haze, is there substantive reason to expect a coaching change?
    Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
  • But the dog-and-pony show of media days rarely leads to substantive information about strategies or game plans.
    Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 18 July 2023
  • Other, more substantive changes will need to come from the Legislature, the agencies said.
    Erin Einhorn, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2022
  • But after a two-year wait between seasons, Season 2 doesn’t feel substantive enough to have faith in the show’s longevity.
    Joshua Alston, Variety, 5 June 2023
  • Read more key takeaways from a substantive, and at times hostile, debate.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023
  • Isn't there a danger in casting a very substantive, active crisis, in terms of a culture war? REP.
    CBS News, 19 Mar. 2023
  • How things might change If no substantive changes are made to the proposal, here is how late fees would change, relative to current rules.
    Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 10 July 2023
  • The city will likely need to wrap up a broad downtown plan before making substantive zoning changes.
    Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Oct. 2022
  • As to whether this opportunity for Vizcaino is more substantive than the last, that’s up to Maher.
    Dallas News, 18 Jan. 2023
  • Any measure that survives both the legislative process and the courts cannot conceivably be substantive enough to have an effect.
    Brynn Tannehill, The New Republic, 10 Apr. 2023
  • But Bell says the new users have also ushered in more substantive discussions on his instance.
    WIRED, 9 Nov. 2022
  • Wasserman said in an interview that too much time has elapsed since then and something substantive should have happened by now.
    Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 17 Apr. 2023
  • This is a small step with limited substantive impact on the lack of money around women’s hockey.
    Mike Hume, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2022
  • Just tons of content to show that substantive stuff that shows that those arguments are preposterous in the extreme.
    Laura Johnston, cleveland, 12 July 2023
  • Like rock climbing, the sport entails a rope system — known as belaying — but differs in substantive ways.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
  • Her family is waiting on the city to approve permits to begin substantive repairs to its home.
    Erika D. Smithcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2023
  • Tuesday and Wednesday practices are typically the most substantive of the week.
    Nathan Baird, cleveland, 28 Dec. 2022
  • But a narrow victory or a narrow loss could mark a substantive setback.
    Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 13 June 2023
  • Unsurprisingly, Kenilworth Road did not, and so Luton had to make the first substantive changes to the stadium in years.
    Rory Smith, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substantive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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