substance

noun

ˈsəb-stən(t)s How to pronounce substance (audio)
Definition of substancenext
1
as in potential
the basic elements from which something can be developed many thought that the mayor's speech lacked substance because specific proposals for solving the city's problems were few

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2
as in essence
the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is tireless caring and nurturing that was the very substance of maternal love

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3
as in wealth
the total of one's money and property measure the worth of a person not by his earthly substance but by his good deeds

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in object
one that has a real and independent existence the question of whether the soul is a substance entirely independent of the body

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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 substance Reynolds, a Black disabled man with a limb difference, is given a character of substance that isn’t tragic or inspirational. — Kristen Lopez, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 Claims of medicinal benefit of the harmful substances continue to collapse under further scrutiny. — Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 It’s just being run through a process built for safety instead of substance. — Lee Caraher, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 The lungs process substances differently from the digestive system, and the health effects of chronic inhalation of propylene glycol through e-cigarette aerosol remain incompletely understood. — Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for substance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substance
  1. potential
  2. essence
  3. wealth
  4. object
  5. material
  6. nature
  7. assets
  8. entity
Noun
  • The debate about how to control AI and limit its potential for damage is healthy and necessary.
    — David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • While each involves risk and the potential for reward, increasingly, they’re being delivered through a remarkably similar digital experience.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of potential
Noun
  • But Williams, with her trademark video diaries, has distilled a vision of contemporary New York to its purest essence.
    — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One wants to know her stories, but more than that one wants to know her essence.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of essence
Noun
  • One was Larry Page, the 53-year-old Google cofounder who had ties to California for decades and began severing them after the wealth tax proposal.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The incredible genius of the US is its ability to hoover up investments from everyone — from sovereign wealth funds, to private individuals, to retail, down to the youngest investor.
    — Shelly Banjo, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of wealth
Noun
  • Astronomers were left with the troublesome task of pairing up two weird objects, smushing them together and hoping to get Lucifer as a result.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • According to the team, the coordination is important because pushing or lifting an object changes the forces acting on a humanoid’s body.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of object
Noun
  • Mixing wand finish is oxidizing for mixing lacks replacement with stainless steel material.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Long after the band’s final show at Reading Festival in 1989, Spacemen 3 continued to chip away at the album’s source material.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of material
Noun
  • In North Georgia’s mountains, autumn already is transforming ridges, forests and streambanks into dazzling palettes of reds, yellows, maroons and deep oranges — all part of nature’s annual leaf color spectacle.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • As nature trades its summer greens for a rich tapestry of amber, rust, burgundy, and gold, our wardrobes are following suit—and with all manner of vibrant, textured, statement-making accessories piled on top.
    — Ciarra Lorren Zatorski, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of nature
Noun
  • The kingdom, and its neighbors like the UAE and Qatar, have pitched themselves as not just sources of capital, but as a safe home for trillions in financial assets, data centers, and new industries.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Skydance, a small production company founded by David Ellison in 2006, has turned into a media giant that unites not only two legacy Hollywood studios but also broadcasting, streaming, and news network assets.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of assets
Noun
  • To support its ambitions, Le Large operates on a hybrid model, combining a nonprofit association that has an endowment fund and a commercial entity responsible for venue rentals and private events.
    — Sarah Belmont for ArtNews, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Throughout the war in Iran, Chinese entities have also supplied Tehran with satellite imagery, including images of a base in Jordan that Iran struck in July, resulting in the deaths of three American service members.
    — Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of entity

Phrases Containing substance

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Cite this Entry

“Substance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substance. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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