as in substantial
sufficiently large in size, amount, or number to merit attention
they've made substantive changes in the nightly newscast
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nominal
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substantive
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Any substantive inquiry into the arrest and subsequent court case would have made all of that plain to see.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2022
Only seventeen members of Harmony, the party that represents the Russian minority and commands a substantive if declining amount of support, and two nonaffiliated members were opposed.
—Gordon F. Sander, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for substantive
Adjective
In fact, most of the positions described in this article fall into the same category as not hiring replacement city beach restroom cleaners — very modest substantive money savings and maximum penalizing of the public.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Any substantive inquiry into the arrest and subsequent court case would have made all of that plain to see.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
California’s climate agenda mixes the symbolic with the substantive.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2022
Only seventeen members of Harmony, the party that represents the Russian minority and commands a substantive if declining amount of support, and two nonaffiliated members were opposed.
—Gordon F. Sander, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for substantive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substantive
Adjective
-
Rochester, for example, spends about 250,000 pounds ($330,000) a year on music, a substantial outlay for a provincial cathedral but less than some.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Baird and Dunaway reported seeing more frequent cases of telogen effluvium in people who have lost substantial weight on GLP-1 medications.—
Nicole Hernandez,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Charlotte home prices rose slightly in February compared to the same time last year, although certain neighborhoods had significant swings up or down, according to the latest data from the real estate site Redfin.—
Chase Jordan
April 7,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The Bengals can get by from this point forward without checking these boxes, but the fallout wouldn’t be as significant as missing on the top four.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And, in instances where the technology may find mutations for which there’s no clear treatment to offer, there is considerable debate about whether testing should even occur.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Before redistricting, that seat, the 49th Congressional District, had been the region’s most competitive, and with Desmond in the race, Republicans had vowed to direct considerable resources to beating Levin.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While primarily based in Los Angeles, Alec has maintained more visible ties to Michigan real estate, including a sizable lakefront home along Lake Michigan built in 2013.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But there is still a sizeable camp that warn against trading this moment, saying saying equities have to consolidate a bit further before this chapter closes.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substantive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantive. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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