substantiate

verb

sub·stan·ti·ate səb-ˈstan(t)-shē-ˌāt

substantiated; substantiating

Synonyms of substantiate next

transitive verb

: to give substance or form to : embody

: to establish by proof or competent evidence : verify

substantiate a charge

substantiation

səb-ˌstan(t)-shē-ˈā-shən

noun

substantiative

səb-ˈstan(t)-shē-ˌā-tiv

adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for substantiate

confirm, corroborate, substantiate, verify, authenticate, validate mean to attest to the truth or validity of something.

confirm implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact.

confirmed the reports

corroborate suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established.

witnesses corroborated his story

substantiate implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention.

the claims have yet to be substantiated

verify implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at.

all statements of fact in the article have been verified

authenticate implies establishing genuineness by adducing legal or official documents or expert opinion.

handwriting experts authenticated the diaries

validate implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or by factual proof.

validated the hypothesis by experiments

Examples of substantiate in a Sentence

substantiated his claim to local mountaineering fame with a photo of himself on the summit of Mount McKinley Mr. MacGregor couldn't substantiate that it was Peter, and not some other rabbit, in the cabbage patch.

Recent Examples on the Web Some research has substantiated the idea that CEOs could one day face the same AI risks to their job relevancy. —

Trey Williams, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2023 The company said that an internal investigation had not substantiated the most serious complaints in the employees’ letter, including antisemitic remarks, discrimination and harassment, and the display of pornographic materials (aside from the incident captured in the 2022 video). —

Megan Twohey, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023 Though those rumors aren't substantiated, Argylle does have some notable connections to Swift. —

Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023 These allegations of misconduct are being thoroughly investigated and, if substantiated, will result in appropriate corrective actions. —

Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 11 Oct. 2023 The subpoenas and interview requests are tied to efforts to substantiate the impeachment inquiry and the White House's response sets up a future battle over congressional demand to comply with subpoenas. —

Arden Farhi, Robert Legare, Andres Triay, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2023 Use data, case studies when possible and testimonials to substantiate your claims. —

Adam Povlitz, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Advertisement Turner-Odom received a letter from the Community College District that June notifying her of Alford’s findings: There was no evidence to substantiate her allegations. —

Debbie Truong, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023 To substantiate their accounts, the journalists reviewed photographs, emails, receipts, messages and other documentation from their time working at Amazon. —

Anna Schecter, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2023 See More

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