substance

substance
sub|stance [ `sʌbstəns ] noun ***
1. ) count a particular type of liquid, solid, or gas:
The wood is coated with a special substance that protects it from the sun.
a hazardous/harmful/radioactive substance: Some workers had developed cancer after exposure to radioactive substances.
a ) a drug that people can become dependent on, especially an illegal drug:
Heroin is an addictive substance.
The campus is a substance-free environment.
=> CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
2. ) uncount the quality of being important, real, or useful, or something that shows this quality:
Her comments added substance to the debate.
The band is all glitz and no substance.
of substance: The agency hasn't accomplished anything of substance for years.
3. ) uncount the most important ideas or basic meaning of a discussion or piece of writing:
He refused to discuss the substance of the meetings.
a ) in substance FORMAL used for mentioning the most important part of a discussion or piece of writing:
The statement said, in substance, that the conviction was completely unfair.
4. ) uncount usually in negatives or questions the fact that something is based on accurate information: TRUTH:
substance to: There is no substance to his accusations.
give substance to something (=show that something is true): Their appearance together gave substance to the rumors of their imminent marriage.
a man/woman/person of substance LITERARY
someone with a large amount of money or property

Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Substance — • A genus supremum, cannot strictly be defined by an analysis into genus and specific difference; yet a survey of the universe at large will enable us to form without difficulty an accurate idea of substance Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

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  • substance — 1 Substance, purport, gist, burden, core, pith can denote the inner significance or central meaning of something written or said. Substance implies the essence of what has been said or written devoid of details and elaborations; the term is used… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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  • substance — ► NOUN 1) a particular kind of matter with uniform properties. 2) the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists. 3) solid basis in reality or fact: the claim has no substance. 4) the quality of being important, valid, or… …   English terms dictionary

  • substance — [n1] entity, element actuality, animal, being, body, bulk, concreteness, core, corpus, fabric, force, hunk, individual, item, mass, material, matter, object, person, phenomenon, reality, something, staple, stuff, texture, thing; concepts… …   New thesaurus

  • substance — [sub′stəns] n. [OFr < L substantia < substare, to be present < sub , under + stare, to STAND] 1. the real or essential part or element of anything; essence, reality, or basic matter 2. a) the physical matter of which a thing consists;… …   English World dictionary

  • Substance — Sub stance, v. t. To furnish or endow with substance; to supply property to; to make rich. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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