substantive

See also: Substantive and substantivé

English

Etymology

From Middle English substantif, from Old French substantif.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsʌbstəntɪv/, /səbˈstæntɪv/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Adjective

substantive (comparative more substantive, superlative most substantive)

1. of the essence or essential element of a thing.

   substantive information

   • 2012 October 6, “The first presidential debate: Back in the centre, back in the game”, in The Economist‎^[1]:

     In one sense the first debate achieved the worst of all worlds: it managed to be technical, even dull, without being substantive or especially honest.

   Synonyms: essential, in essence

   1. (by extension) Constituting the substance of content rather than its style, and thus always nontrivial.

      Substantive editing is never trivial, whereas some aspects of copyediting are trivial.

      substantive changes made by the lawyers

3. Having substance; enduring; solid; firm; substantial.
   • 1836 [1829], William Hazlitt, “Definition of wit”, in Literary Remains of the Late William Hazlitt‎^[2], page 19:

     Once more then, strength and magnitude are qualities which impress the imagination in a powerful and substantive manner;

   Synonyms: meaty, substantial

   Antonyms: superficial, trivial

5. (law) applying to essential legal principles and rules of right.

   substantive law

   Antonyms: adjective, procedural

6. (chemistry) of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant to be made fast to that which is being dyed

   Antonym: adjective

7. Depending on itself; independent.
   • 1765 [1627], Francis Bacon, “New Atlantis”, in The Works of Francis Bacon‎^[3], page 356:

     He therefore taking into consideration, how sufficient and substantive this land was to maintain itself without any aid at all of the foreigner,

8. (grammar) Of or pertaining to a substantive.

   Synonym: substantival

9. (military, of a rank or appointment) actually and legally held, as distinct from an acting, temporary or honorary rank or appointment

Derived terms

• substantive law
• substantively
• substantive verb

 

Translations

of the essence or essential element of a thing

• Bulgarian: съществен (bg) (sǎštestven)
• Finnish: oleellinen (fi), olennainen (fi)
• Irish: ábhartha
• Italian: essenziale (it)

• Portuguese: substantivo (pt), substancial (pt), essencial (pt)
• Spanish: sustantivo (es), sustancial
• Uzbek: ot (uz)

having substance and prompting thought

• Armenian: բովանդակային (bovandakayin)
• Azerbaijani: dolğun
• Finnish: oleellinen (fi), olennainen (fi)

• French: substantif (fr)
• Irish: ábhartha
• Italian: sostanziale (it), concreto (it)

law: applying to essential legal principles

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: aineellinen (fi), aineellisoikeudellinen
• German: materiell (de)

• Hungarian: érdemi (hu)
• Italian: sostanziale (it), materiale (it)
• Russian: материа́льный (ru) (materiálʹnyj)
• Sicilian: sustanziali, matiriali
• Swedish: please add this translation if you can

independent

• Bulgarian: самостоятелен (bg) (samostojatelen), независим (bg) (nezavisim)

of a dye that does not need the use of a mordant

• French: direct (fr), substantif (fr)

substantival — see substantival

military: actually and legally held

Noun

substantive (plural substantives)

2. (grammar) Clipping of noun substantive. [from 16th c.]

   Synonyms: (sensu stricto) noun, noun substantive

   Hypernym: (sensu lato) noun

3. Part of a text that carries the meaning, such as words and their ordering.

   Coordinate term: accidental

Alternative forms

• subst. (abbreviation used in lexicography and grammar)

Derived terms

• substantival
• substantivally
• substantivise/substantivize

 

Translations

noun — see noun

Verb

substantive (third-person singular simple present substantives, present participle substantiving, simple past and past participle substantived)

2. (grammar, very rare) to make a word belonging to another part of speech into a substantive (that is, a noun) or use it as a noun

   Synonyms: substantivize, nominalize

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /syp.stɑ̃.tiv/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: substantives

Adjective

substantive

1. feminine singular of substantif

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /sub.stanˈtiː.u̯e/, [s̠ʊps̠t̪än̪ˈt̪iːu̯ɛ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /sub.stanˈti.ve/, [subst̪än̪ˈt̪iːve]

Adjective

substantīve

1. vocative masculine singular of substantīvus

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Portuguese

Verb

substantive

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of substantivar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of substantivar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of substantivar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of substantivar

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sub.stanˈti.ve]

Noun

substantive

1. plural of substantiv

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Spanish

Verb

substantive

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of substantivar.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of substantivar.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of substantivar.
4. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of substantivar.