What does substance mean?

Definitions for substance
ˈsʌb stənssub·stance

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word substance.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. substancenoun

    the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists

    "DNA is the substance of our genes"

  2. kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-grittynoun

    the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

    "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"

  3. meaning, substancenoun

    the idea that is intended

    "What is the meaning of this proverb?"

  4. substancenoun

    material of a particular kind or constitution

    "the immune response recognizes invading substances"

  5. means, substancenoun

    considerable capital (wealth or income)

    "he is a man of means"

  6. message, content, subject matter, substancenoun

    what a communication that is about something is about

  7. substancenoun

    a particular kind or species of matter with uniform properties

    "shigella is one of the most toxic substances known to man"

Wiktionary

  1. substancenoun

    Physical matter; material.

  2. substancenoun

    The essential part of anything; the most vital part.

  3. substancenoun

    Considerable wealth or resources.

    A man of substance.

  4. substancenoun

    Drugs

    substance abuse

  5. Etymology: From substance, from substantia, from substans, present active participle of substo, from sub + sto.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. SUBSTANCEnoun

    Etymology: substance, Fr, substantia, Latin.

    Since then the soul works by herself alone,
    Springs not from sense, nor humours well agreeing,
    Her nature is peculiar, and her own;
    She is a substance, and a perfect being. Davies.

    The strength of gods,
    And this empyreal substance cannot fail. John Milton.

    What creatures there inhabit, of what mold,
    And substance. John Milton.

    Every being is considered as subsisting in and by itself, and then it is called a substance; or it subsists in and by another, and then it is called a mode or manner of being. Isaac Watts.

    It will serve our turn to comprehend the substance, without confining ourselves to scrupulous exactness in form. Digby.

    This edition is the same in substance with the Latin. Burn.

    They are the best epitomes, and let you see with one cast of the eye the substance of a hundred pages. Addison.

    Shadows to night
    Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard,
    Than can the substance of ten thousand soldiers
    Arm’d in proof and led by shallow Richard. William Shakespeare.

    He the future evil shall no less
    In apprehension than in substance feel. John Milton.

    Heroick virtue did his actions guide,
    And he the substance, not th’ appearance chose:
    To rescue one such friend he took more pride,
    Than to destroy whole thousands of such foes. Dryden.

    Between the parts of opake and coloured bodies are many spaces, either empty or replenished with mediums of other densities; as water between the tinging corpuscles wherewith any liquor is impregnated, air between the aqueous globules that constitute clouds or mists, and for the most part spaces void of both air and water; but yet perhaps not wholly void of all substance between the parts of hard bodies. Newton.

    The qualities of plants are more various than those of animal substances. John Arbuthnot, on Aliments.

    He hath eaten me out of house and home, and hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his, but I will have some of it out again. William Shakespeare, Henry IV.

    We are destroying many thousand lives, and exhausting our substance, but not for our own interest. Jonathan Swift.

ChatGPT

  1. substance

    A substance refers to a form of matter that has a specific and distinct composition and properties. It can exist in various states such as solid, liquid, or gas, and can be either naturally occurring or artificially created. Substances can be classified into elements, compounds, or mixtures based on their composition and the way their atoms or molecules are arranged.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Substancenoun

    that which underlies all outward manifestations; substratum; the permanent subject or cause of phenomena, whether material or spiritual; that in which properties inhere; that which is real, in distinction from that which is apparent; the abiding part of any existence, in distinction from any accident; that which constitutes anything what it is; real or existing essence

  2. Substancenoun

    the most important element in any existence; the characteristic and essential components of anything; the main part; essential import; purport

  3. Substancenoun

    body; matter; material of which a thing is made; hence, substantiality; solidity; firmness; as, the substance of which a garment is made; some textile fabrics have little substance

  4. Substancenoun

    material possessions; estate; property; resources

  5. Substancenoun

    same as Hypostasis, 2

  6. Substanceverb

    to furnish or endow with substance; to supply property to; to make rich

  7. Etymology: [F., fr. L. substantia, fr. substare to be under or present, to stand firm; sub under + stare to stand. See Stand.]

Wikidata

  1. Substance

    Substance is a 1987 compilation album by New Order, consisting of all of the band's singles at that point in their 12-inch versions, together with their respective B-side tracks. The then newly-released non-album single "True Faith" is also featured, along with its B-side "1963". The collection was released on vinyl, double CD, double cassette and Digital Audio Tape.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Substance

    sub′stans, n. that in which qualities or attributes exist, the existence to which qualities belong: that which constitutes anything what it is: the essential part: body: matter: property: foundation, ground, confidence. [L. substantiasubstāre, to stand under—sub, under, stāre, to stand.]

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'substance' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4155

  2. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'substance' in Nouns Frequency: #1238

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of substance in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of substance in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of substance in a Sentence

  1. Richard Himelfarb:

    The debate is going to be decided on body language, tone and temperament. It will all be about tone and demeanor and much less about substance.

  2. One Rodeo resident:

    ALASKA WOMAN GETS 60 YEARS FOR SETTING COUCH ABLAZE WITH BOYFRIEND ON IT Contra Costa Fire Department spokesman Steve Hill said the tanks held varying amounts of ethanol. One tank alone contained around 167,000 gallons of the flammable substance. Approximately 200 firefighters were battling the blazes using foam on the flames and water to cool adjacent tanks to prevent them from catching fire. Officials closed Interstate 80, one of the busiest in the Bay Area at the peak of rush hour, causing major traffic jams.The California Highway Patrol said the closure was expected to last at least until midnight. CALIFORNIA LYFT DRIVER IS PULLED OVER SO POLICE CAN ARREST HER PASSENGER One Rodeo resident, One Rodeo resident, told The Associated Press he was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to get home to his teenage son. His son had called him to say he heard a loud explosion. It literally rocked the house and then soon after, he heard what sounded like a jet plane.

  3. Carsten Hjorthøj:

    I think it is highly important to use both our study and other studies to highlight and emphasize that cannabis use is not harmless, there is, unfortunately, evidence to suggest that cannabis is increasingly seen as a somewhat harmless substance. This is unfortunate, since we see links with schizophrenia, poorer cognitive function, substance use disorders, etc.

  4. Jeff Powell:

    I look at it as purely a sentiment-driven market. There's no new news that's any kind of substance that's driving this.

  5. John Palmieri:

    We know that there are many individuals in this country who are struggling with suicidal concerns, with mental health or substance use concerns, who aren’t able to access the care that they need. And in many respects, historically, because of funding limitations or other limitations, the system has let them down, so, this is truly an opportunity with 988 – as a catalytic moment – to be able to transform the crisis care system to better meet those needs in a less restrictive, more person-centered, more treatment- and recovery-oriented way.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

substance#1#4308#10000

Translations for substance

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"substance." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 17 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/substance>.

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    cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious
    A abash
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