1
as in significant
having great meaning or lasting effect
substantial changes to the school dress code that made a lot of people unhappy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in large
of a size greater than average of its kind
the amount he inherited was quite substantial, so he quit his job and set out to see the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in physical
relating to or composed of matter
the Land of Oz turned out to be a world of dreams, even less substantial than a rainbow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in considerable
sufficiently large in size, amount, or number to merit attention
there's been a substantial increase in attendance at girls' volleyball games ever since the start of their winning streak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of substantial
The allocation of substantial resources towards isoprene formation indicates its importance.
—
Jay Kakade
june 30, New Atlas, 30 June 2025
Newsom’s budget proposal in May proposed substantial cuts to the healthcare program for undocumented immigrants, including freezing new enrollment in 2026, requiring adults to pay $100 monthly premiums and cutting full dental coverage.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has substantial reserves of gold, cobalt, and high-grade copper that have been inaccessible due to the security risks and underdeveloped infrastructure, the International Trade Administration says.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 28 June 2025
The Leafs’ time is now — and there aren’t many, if any, free agents out there who check as many potential boxes as Marchand, nor are there many trades, given the team’s limited pool of assets, that make substantial upgrades elsewhere on the roster possible.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for substantial
Jay Kakade
june 30, New Atlas, 30 June 2025
Newsom’s budget proposal in May proposed substantial cuts to the healthcare program for undocumented immigrants, including freezing new enrollment in 2026, requiring adults to pay $100 monthly premiums and cutting full dental coverage.
—Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has substantial reserves of gold, cobalt, and high-grade copper that have been inaccessible due to the security risks and underdeveloped infrastructure, the International Trade Administration says.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 28 June 2025
The Leafs’ time is now — and there aren’t many, if any, free agents out there who check as many potential boxes as Marchand, nor are there many trades, given the team’s limited pool of assets, that make substantial upgrades elsewhere on the roster possible.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for substantial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substantial
Adjective
-
Adding significant pieces on the open market is costly and risky, perhaps no more or less than daring to move on from Dobson.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
The company is trading at merely 0.4 times its potential revenues for 2030—a significant discount for a technology leader poised to grow from nothing to over $10 billion in revenue within a few years.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Stablecoins are coming forward as one of the most plausible crypto applications for real-world transactions, and several of the largest retailers globally, including Walmart (NYSE:WMT), are taking note.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Social isolation, depression, and lack of physical activity are each risk factors for dementia.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
27 June 2025
-
Fuel costs and physical exhaustion—combined with the general chaos that defined the Grateful Dead’s mid-’70s era—ultimately forced the band to abandon the system after less than a year, retiring it following their October 1974 shows at San Francisco’s Winterland.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Something that may have incurred considerable expense.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
-
Harper and Bailey were both five-star recruits coming out of high school and arrived at Rutgers with considerable hype.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
There have been 50 major model releases in just the first six months of 2025, with lots of different sizes, features, and use cases (see the table below).—
Steven Wolfe Pereira,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
April 2025 The Six of Swords: There is major transition and movement afoot for you this month, Libra.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Bezos has also pledged to make sizable charity donations, including €1 million to Corila — an academic consortium dedicated to studying Venice’s lagoon ecosystem — according to Corriere della Sera and Italy’s ANSA news agency.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
23 June 2025
-
Bezos has made sizable contributions to Venetian charities in the lead-up to the wedding, including a million-euro donation to Corila, an academic consortium that studies Venice's lagoon ecosystem, Reuters reports.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Under the right circumstances, a small drone can destroy even the most robust concrete structure simply by bringing the detonator.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
What To Know The new work at Old Oak Common, announced in May, includes the installation of nearly 2,000 pre-cast concrete platform slabs inside a 2,788-foot underground station box.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
The threat of Bezos, and the more existential threats posed by capitalism and the government mean that the interests of booksellers and the literal work of book selling is more important than ever.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
-
The Ability To Respond, Not React There are many important skills that top-notch leaders have in common, such as emotional intelligence, active listening, vision and so on.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Substantial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantial. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share