substance en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈsʌbstəns/ (US)
- (US) audio
- [ˈsʌbstənts] (US)
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English substance, from Old French substance, from Latin substantia (“substance, essence”), from substāns, present active participle of substō (“exist”, literally “stand under”), from sub + stō (“stand”). Displaced native Old English andweorc.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) Physical matter; material.
Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:His wasted hands were stretched out, and worked with a quick and convulsive motion, as if catching some small substances which kept eluding their grasp;...
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXX, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 308:Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations:
- (countable, uncountable) Physical matter; material. ▸ A form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties.
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(countable, uncountable) The essential part of anything; the most vital part.
Heroic virtue did his actions guide, / And he the substance, not the appearance, chose.
1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number):It is insolent in words, in manner; but in substance it is not only insulting, but alarming.
1796, Edmund Burke, Letters on a Regicide Peace:1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth This edition is the same in substance with the Latin.
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(countable, uncountable) Substantiality; solidity; firmness.
Some textile fabrics have little substance.
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(countable, uncountable) Material possessions; estate; property; resources.
Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, / Cannot amount unto a hundred marks.
c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:a man of substance
And there wasted his substance with riotous living.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 15:13:And as we have waſted our Strength and vital Subſtance in this profuſe manner, ſo we have ſhamefully miſapplied it to Ends at leaſt very different from thoſe for which we undertook the War, and often to effect others which after a Peace we may ſeverely repent.
1711 December 8 (Gregorian calendar), [Jonathan Swift], The Conduct of the Allies, and of the Late Ministry, in Beginning and Carrying on the Present War, 4th edition, London: […] John Morphew […], published 1711, →OCLC, page 26:
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(countable, uncountable) Drugs (illegal narcotics)
substance abuse
- (countable, uncountable) Ousia, essence; underlying reality or hypostasis in the philosophical sense.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| substances | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| substaunce | alternative, archaic | lexicographic |
Antonyms
energy · soul · spirit · light · shadow · power · dream · void · heat · nothing · ego · personality · mind · phantom · force · vacuum
Coordinates
element · composite · compound · mixture
Deriveds
all style and no substance · nonsubstance · polysubstance · economic substance · ground substance · mucosubstance · queen substance · exosubstance · Nissl substance · nanosubstance · multisubstance · polyfluoroalkyl substance · substanceless · substanceness · substance dualism · substantification · innominate substance · substance dependence · substance-wise · substancehood · substantify · perfluoroalkyl substance
Holonyms
Hyponyms
Relateds
subsist · substantive · substantial
Synonyms
body · matter · gear · crux · mass · stuff · stuff · substance · corporeity · stuff · material · gist · matter · dope · matter
Translations (199)
ja 骨子 (essential part) · hu vagyon (material possessions) · hu szubsztancia (essential part) · fi substanssi (essential part) · sl snov (physical matter; material — see also matter) · id zat (physical matter; material — see also matter) · cmn 物質 /物质 (drugs) · cmn 財產 /财产 (material possessions) · grc ὕλη (physical matter; material — see also matter) · es substancia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · fr substance (essential part) · pt substância (physical matter; material — see also matter) · tr mal (material possessions) · cmn 毒品 (drugs) · ast sustancia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ota مایه (essential part) · km វត្ថុ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · gd susbaint (essential part) · hi वस्तु (physical matter; material — see also matter) · la substantia (essential part) · bg същност (essential part) · cmn 資產 /资产 (material possessions) · fa ماده (physical matter; material — see also matter) · gl bens (material possessions) · sh supstànca (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sa सम्पत्ति (material possessions) · vi vật chất (physical matter; material — see also matter) · pt substância (drugs) · ca substància (physical matter; material — see also matter) · es sustancia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · hi विषय वस्तु (essential part) · ru вес (material possessions) · fi aine (physical matter; material — see also matter) · cs substance (essential part) · fi materia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · hi संपदा (material possessions) · ang andweorc (physical matter; material — see also matter) · bg вещество́ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sv substans (drugs) · ms zat (physical matter; material — see also matter) · pl substancja (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ru мате́рия (physical matter; material — see also matter) · fi rakenne (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · eo substanco (physical matter; material — see also matter) · la substantia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · gl miolo (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · tk madda (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ka ნივთიერება (physical matter; material — see also matter) · uz modda (physical matter; material — see also matter) · fr fond (essential part) · da formue (material possessions) · nb substans (drugs) · sq substancë (physical matter; material — see also matter) · pt substância (essential part) · ro substanță (essential part) · mn ᠪᠣᠳᠠᠰ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sq lëndë (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ru субста́нция (physical matter; material — see also matter) · el ουσίες (drugs) · hu tartalom (physical matter; material — see also matter) · cmn 實質 /实质 (essential part) · ur مادہ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · no formue (material possessions) · gl substancia (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · uk субста́нція (physical matter; material — see also matter) · cs látka (physical matter; material — see also matter) · cmn 物質 /物质 (physical matter; material — see also matter) · gl substancia (essential part) · el περιουσία (material possessions) · grc ὑπόστασις (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ko 본질 (essential part) · mi tino (essential part) · ga damhna (physical matter; material — see also matter) · da substans (essential part) · bn পদার্থ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · de Substanz (material possessions) · be субста́нцыя (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sv resurs (material possessions) · nb stoff (drugs) · ro drog (drugs) · nb narkotika (drugs) · tg модда (physical matter; material — see also matter) · mi matū (physical matter; material — see also matter) · th แก่นสาร (essential part) · hu anyag (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ga damhna (a form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties) · fi olemus (essential part) · ka არსი (essential part) · be рэ́чыва (physical matter; material — see also matter) · my ဒြပ် (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sv substans (physical matter; material — see also matter) · bg субста́нция (physical matter; material — see also matter) · mn бодис (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ga mianach (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ka ნივთიერება (a form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties) · gl substancia (drugs) · sk látka (physical matter; material — see also matter) · is efni (physical matter; material — see also matter) · el ουσία (essential part) · fi varallisuus (material possessions) · ko 재산 (material possessions) · ps ماده (physical matter; material — see also matter) · de Substanz (essential part) · wuu 物質 /物质 (physical matter; material — see also matter) · hi पदार्थ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ro substanță (material possessions) · ro substanță (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ro narcotic (drugs) · es sustancia (essential part) · gl substancia (a form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties) · grc οὐσία (essential part) · no narkotika (drugs) · fi aineet (drugs) · hi पदार्थ (a form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties) · hy էություն (essential part) · fi varat (material possessions) · mi kiko (physical matter; material — see also matter) · de Substanz (physical matter; material — see also matter) · kk зат (physical matter; material — see also matter) · da substans (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sh супста̀нца (physical matter; material — see also matter) · lt medžiaga (physical matter; material — see also matter) · gl cerna (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · de Stoff (physical matter; material — see also matter) · es sustancia (material possessions) · lo ສະສານ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · uk речовина́ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ug ماددا (physical matter; material — see also matter) · tr madde (physical matter; material — see also matter) · it sostanza (physical matter; material — see also matter) · mk супстанција (physical matter; material — see also matter) · lv viela (physical matter; material — see also matter) · fi ydin (essential part) · kmr made (physical matter; material — see also matter) · nl substantie (physical matter; material — see also matter) · cs podstata (essential part) · no substans (physical matter; material — see also matter) · sv substans (essential part) · pl majątek (material possessions) · hi मादक पदार्थ (drugs) · ru су́щность (essential part) · ca substància (essential part) · ko 마약 (drugs) · tr maya (essential part) · grc οὐσία (physical matter; material — see also matter) · te పదార్థము (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ky зат (physical matter; material — see also matter) · es substancia (material possessions) · el ουσία (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ja 物質 (physical matter; material — see also matter) · tt матдә (physical matter; material — see also matter) · gl substancia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · hu lényeg (essential part) · sv ämne (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ko 자산 (material possessions) · yi מאַטעריע (physical matter; material — see also matter) · he תוכן (essential part) · ru вещество́ (drugs) · bg имущество (material possessions) · ba матдә (physical matter; material — see also matter) · de Substanz (drugs) · mi pūmatū (physical matter; material — see also matter) · bg вещество (a form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties) · kk мән (essential part) · et aine (physical matter; material — see also matter) · no masse (physical matter; material — see also matter) · he חומר \ חֹמֶר (physical matter; material — see also matter) · hy նյութ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · pl narkotyk (drugs) · hi सम्पत्ति (material possessions) · az maddə (physical matter; material — see also matter) · pt riqueza (material possessions) · mi pūmatū (a form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties) · es enjundia (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · yue 物質 /物质 (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ms bahan (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ko 물질 (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ko 본질 (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · hi संपत्ति (material possessions) · la materia (physical matter; material — see also matter) · es substancia (essential part) · pl istota (essential part) · ast sustancia (essential part) · es fuste (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · nan-hbl 物質 /物质 (physical matter; material — see also matter) · no substans (essential part) · ar مَادَّة (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ru вещество́ (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ko 실체 (substantiality; solidity; firmness) · kk зат (drugs) · th สสาร (physical matter; material — see also matter) · ko 실질 (essential part) · grc οὐσία (material possessions) · hu szer (drugs) · da hovedindhold (essential part) · fr substance (physical matter; material — see also matter) · da masse (physical matter; material — see also matter) · fr biens (material possessions) · th ใจความ (essential part)