substantial

adjective

sub·​stan·​tial səb-ˈstan(t)-shəl How to pronounce substantial (audio)
1
a
: consisting of or relating to substance
b
: not imaginary or illusory : real, true
2
: ample to satisfy and nourish : full
a substantial meal
3
a
: possessed of means : well-to-do
b
: considerable in quantity : significantly great
earned a substantial wage
4
: firmly constructed : sturdy
a substantial house
5
: being largely but not wholly that which is specified
a substantial lie
substantial noun
substantiality noun
substantially adverb
substantialness noun

Examples of substantial in a Sentence

A substantial number of people commute to work each day. Activities like that pose a substantial risk of injury. She purchased her tickets at a substantial discount. Only the buildings that were constructed of more substantial materials survived the earthquake. I was hoping that they would serve us something more substantial than wine and cheese.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the core of the design process was a substantial allocation of computing time on ORNL’s Summit supercomputer. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025 But Niccol said this larger-scale effort is more substantial. Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025 This announcement further strengthens the relationship between OpenAI and Nvidia as leaders at the forefront of the AI revolution, while providing OpenAI with substantial funding at lower costs by reducing its credit risk, Wedbush Securities analysts wrote in a Tuesday note to investors. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025 Eager to rebuild the town’s economy and despite Kiehn’s decision to hire former Nazi Party friends and colleagues, Trossingen’s city councilors welcomed him with open arms and provided him with a substantial grant to rebuild his businesses. Robert M. Ehrenreich, JSTOR Daily, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for substantial

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of substantial was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Substantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substantial. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

substantial

adjective
sub·​stan·​tial səb-ˈstan-chəl How to pronounce substantial (audio)
1
a
: consisting of or relating to substance : material
b
: not imaginary : real
the substantial world
c
: important sense 1, essential
substantial differences
2
: enough to satisfy and nourish
a substantial meal
3
a
: prosperous sense 1
a substantial farmer
b
: considerable in quantity : significantly large
a substantial increase
4
: firmly constructed
a substantial building
substantiality noun
substantially adverb

Legal Definition

substantial

adjective
sub·​stan·​tial səb-ˈstan-chəl How to pronounce substantial (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to substance
b
: not illusory : having merit
failed to raise a substantial constitutional claim
c
: having importance or significance : material
a substantial step had not been taken toward commission of the crimeW. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.
2
: considerable in quantity : significantly great
identification of serious and substantial failure to performU.S. Code
compare de minimis
substantiality noun
substantially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on substantial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!