substantive

adjective sub·stan·tive \ ˈsəb-stən-tiv ; senses 3c & 4 also səb-ˈstan-tiv \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

Examples: substantive in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of substantive

1 : having substance : involving matters of major or practical importance to all concerned

substantive discussions among world leaders

2 : considerable in amount or numbers : substantial

made substantive progress

3 a : real rather than apparent : firm

need substantive evidence to prove her guilt

; also : permanent, enduring

b : belonging to the substance of a thing : essential

c : expressing existence

the substantive verb is the verb to be

4 a : having the nature or function of a noun

a substantive phrase

b : relating to or having the character of a noun or pronominal term in logic

5 : creating and defining rights and duties

substantive law

— compare procedural

6 : requiring or involving no mordant

a substantive dyeing process

7 : being a totally independent entity

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substantively

adverb

—

substantiveness

noun

See substantive defined for English-language learners

substantive was our Word of the Day on 05/14/2010. Hear the podcast!

Examples of substantive in a Sentence

"This was not a drive-by P.R. stunt, and I actually thought it might be," said Representative Zach Wamp, Republican of Tennessee. "It was a substantive, in-depth discussion with our conference, and he's very effective." —Jackie Calmes & Carl Hulse, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2009
The first substantive issue that the Supreme Court considered in its Brown opinion was whether, as originally understood, the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited racial segregation in public schooling. The justices concluded that the historical record was inconclusive. —Randall Kennedy, New Republic, 5 & 12 July 2004
The common critique of art's pleasures and entertainments—that they are trivial, devoid of substantive value, and degrading of art's genuine worth—rests on ignoring this diversity by making two false assumptions: first, that there is basically one kind of aesthetic pleasure in art's entertainment and, secondly, that this pleasure is always a shallow and trivial one, which distracts us from interest in art's real meaning and truth. —Richard Shusterman, Let's Entertain: Life's Guilty Pleasures, 2000
These changes are more symbolic than substantive.
No substantive changes were made to the document.
There is no substantive reason to change the law.

Recent Examples of substantive from the Web

The university could also insist that, as a substantive matter, there was no defamation, false light or tortious interference.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Breaking Down Kevin Ollie's Case Against UConn and the University's Likely Defenses," 29 June 2018
So rather than expect a breakthrough (or a breakdown, for that matter) the most likely outcome of this week’s summit may be something less substantive: a successful pageant.

— evan horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump-Kim summit may be more warm-up act than finale," 11 June 2018
Whether that historic first meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader proves substantive is another matter.

— jeremy diamond, CNN, "Trump-Kim summit: What to watch," 11 June 2018
Those operations were more symbolic than substantive, numbering roughly 100 a year in a county with more than 10,000 growing operations.

— scott wilson, Washington Post, "Outlaw weed comes into the light," 16 Mar. 2018
But the changes appear to be more cosmetic than substantive.

— Time, "The Trump Organization Has Made Lots of Deals with Foreign Governments in the Last Year," 22 Jan. 2018
European politicians have developed a habit of turning thorny substantive debates into poisonous symbolic ones.

— The Economist, "How policy debates in Europe become untethered from reality," 12 July 2018
But several substantive, strategic, and tactical themes have recurred.

— sam rosenfeld, Vox, "The Democratic Party is moving steadily leftward. So why does the left still distrust it?," 22 June 2018
Two days later, Comey received his first substantive briefing on the issue, according to the IG report.

— warren richey, The Christian Science Monitor, "Inspector general on Comey: dissecting an error in judgment," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'substantive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of substantive

Middle English, from Anglo-French sustentif — see ²substantive

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 7

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substantive Synonyms

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

substantive

noun sub·stan·tive \ ˈsəb-stən-tiv \

Definition of substantive

: noun; broadly : a word or word group functioning syntactically as a noun

—

substantivize

play \ˈsəb-stən-ti-ˌvīz\ transitive verb

See substantive defined for English-language learners

See substantive defined for kids

Did You Know?

Substantive was borrowed into Middle English from the Anglo-French adjective sustentif, meaning "having or expressing substance," and can be traced back to the Latin verb substare, which literally means "to stand under." Figuratively, the meaning of "substare" is best understood as "to stand firm" or "to hold out." Since the 14th century, we have used "substantive" to speak of that which is of enough "substance" to stand alone, or be independent. By the 19th century the word evolved related meanings, such as "enduring" and "essential." It also shares some senses with "substantial," such as "considerable in quantity."

Origin and Etymology of substantive

Middle English substantif, from Anglo-French sustentif, from sustentif, adjective, having or expressing substance, from Late Latin substantivus, from Latin substantia

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year