substantiate

verb

sub·​stan·​ti·​ate səb-ˈstan(t)-shē-ˌāt 

substantiated; substantiating

transitive verb

1

: to give substance or form to : embody

2

: 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

Synonyms of substantiate

• prove
• establish
• demonstrate

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

However, the newspaper could find no evidence to substantiate those claims. — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Analysts on Wednesday were excited that Musk's comments could substantiate Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's blockbuster prediction from March that his company's flagship processors could generate $1 trillion in annual revenue through 2027. — Tobias Burns,kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

He was never charged with a crime and the Department of Children and Family Services did not find evidence to substantiate allegations of child abuse, according to records released in court filings. — Rachel Scott, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

These rumors were never substantiated—but Harry did reference his mother’s California dreams in the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, per PopSugar. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for substantiate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

substantiate

verb

sub·​stan·​ti·​ate səb-ˈstan-chē-ˌāt 

substantiated; substantiating

1

: to give substance or form to : embody

2

: to establish by proof or evidence

substantiate a claim

substantiation

-ˌstan-chē-ˈā-shən 

noun