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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nominal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substantive
Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
Some officials have been able to preserve portions of the chat, and a CIA representative told Boasberg that no substantive messages could be recovered from CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s phone.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025
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
American Oversight raised concerns about the CIA recovering no substantive messages from the chat, saying the agency waited multiple days to review Ratcliffe’s phone and someone changed the settings in the meantime.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2025
Some officials have been able to preserve portions of the chat, and a CIA representative told Boasberg that no substantive messages could be recovered from CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s phone.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2025
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
-
Since 2015, when Cook County chose Tyler in part to automate property tax bills and records, issues with Tyler’s work have resulted in substantial delays and much higher costs to taxpayers than originally conceived, as the Tribune and Injustice Watch reported in April in a thorough investigation.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Yes, a Knicks team that has been unstoppable in the fourth quarter is a substantial underdog against a Celtics team that is not only A) missing its top scorer but also B) struggling through a poor series by two of its top complementary scorers in Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
While reports differ as to whether costs are rising or falling in recent years, college tuition is still a significant expense, even with financial aid and scholarships.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
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The construction is intended to stymie the spread of invasive carp, which could pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes region’s native species, ecosystems and billion-dollar fishing and boating industries.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
Now there is considerable fear that the conflict between India and Pakistan, both of which have nuclear weapons, could escalate.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
9 May 2025
-
There's also considerable risk connected to young people toting toys that can closely resemble actual guns, especially those with modifications.—
Jazmin Towe,
Parents,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
The property occupies a sizable 5,995-square-foot lot.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
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For nearly three years the school shunned NIL and refused to adjust the admissions process for potential transfers, digging itself a sizable hole.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Substantive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantive. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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