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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of substantive
Sean Gentille, New York Times, 9 May 2025
Beijing thinks that a meeting between Xi and Trump would be unlikely to guarantee substantive results, and sees it as a concession to Washington with little upside and considerable risk.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 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
That group — responsible for Washington’s most consistently substantive five-on-five play in the regular season — had been demolished in Game 1.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 9 May 2025
Beijing thinks that a meeting between Xi and Trump would be unlikely to guarantee substantive results, and sees it as a concession to Washington with little upside and considerable risk.
—Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 29 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
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While San Francisco hogs headlines on homelessness and crime, its southern neighbor, San Jose, has been quietly making bold moves — and seeing substantial results.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2025
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The goal is for students to build a device using bubble wrap, straws, or various other materials designed to hold an egg and keep it intact after being dropped from a substantial height—say, ten meters (nearly 33 feet).—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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The bill would also impose significant caps on loans for parents and undergraduate students, while eliminating a lending program for future graduate students.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Almost every automaker has capitalized on this growth, with a few exceptions—Tesla being the most significant.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The proposal has faced considerable opposition from lawmakers and analysts over various issues from costs to capacity.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
21 May 2025
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However, implementing such a complex solution requires an attentive eye and considerable preparation.—
Atal Bansal,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Nikola Jokic is the biggest reason why the Nuggets are on the brink of a sizable upset.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
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The hosting country would naturally want a sizable say in how the AGI is going to be used.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Substantive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substantive. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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