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Substantive and substantial are quite a pair: the two have multiple similar meanings, can both ultimately be traced back to the same Latin root (the verb substare, whose figurative meaning is best understood as “to stand firm” or “to hold out”), and both made their first appearance in English sometime in the 14th century. But though they can be used interchangeably in some contexts (one can make “substantive progress” or “substantial progress,” for example), we usually use substantial to describe things that are large in size, scope, or extent (e.g., “a substantial amount,” “substantial increase”), while substantive is more likely to be used as a synonym of significant, real, or important. Substantive change, for example, is change that makes a fundamental difference, regardless of its size. Substantive also functions in grammar-related contexts describing or referring to nouns and noun phrases.
Synonyms
Examples of substantive in a Sentence
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.
Judy Berman, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, many of the claims on the PhenQ website are backed by substantive scientific research and evidence.
—Mark Jackson, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
This scenario suggests a future where tax litigation may increasingly hinge on the procedural validity of regulations, rather than solely on their substantive merits.
—Jessica Ledingham, J.d., Ll.m., Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The handbook would have had four substantive changes under the proposal, according to John Ward, the executive director of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program:
Voucher holders would be barred from applying vouchers strictly for summer use.
—Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 26 Mar. 2024
Any substantive changes to the draft rules would be subject to another round of comment, meaning the process could last well past the summer.
—Olivia Goldhill, STAT, 22 Mar. 2024
This is important as Auditor because the office functions as an administrative arm of the Legislature; any substantive changes in policy must be made at the State level.
—Carl Weiser, The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024
There are no substantive consequences for people who spread misinformation.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024
Of the 356 substantive comment letters sent to regulators, 347 of them were negative.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 18 Mar. 2024
Maggie Astor, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2023
With his substantive, agreeably granular bass, David Grogan gave prophetic warnings real authority.
—Dallas News, 23 Dec. 2022
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
But handling the situation at the southern border has already become a major substantive and communications problem for Biden’s team.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2021
Obstruction of justice is a crime that is independent of any underlying or substantives crime that may have been committed.
—Joyce White Vance, Time, 25 July 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substantive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Substantive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substantive. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
substantive
1 of 2 noun
substantive
2 of 2 adjectiveLegal Definition
substantive
adjective
United States v. Elliot, 571 F.2d 880 (1978) 
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