substantial
substantial — adjective
1. big in size, amount, or degree, often enough to be noticed or to make a differen
big in size, amount, or degree, often enough to be noticed or to make a difference
Ayesha received a substantial pay rise after the project succeeded.
substantial + noun (pay rise)
The storm caused substantial damage to homes along the coast.
There has been a substantial increase in the number of people cycling to work.
The charity received a substantial sum of money from an anonymous donor.
Jiwoo noticed a substantial improvement in her grades after studying with a tutor.
- considerable
neutral and factual, often used for amounts or degrees without the sense of material weight
- significant
emphasises the importance or noticeable effect of something
- sizeable
informal synonym, focuses on physical size or amount but less on value
- insignificant
too small or unimportant to be worth attention
- negligible
so small or unimportant that it can be ignored
文法句型
substantial + noun (amount, increase, difference, damage)
用法筆記
Often used to describe changes, differences, or effects that are clearly noticeable — not just large but meaningfully so.
常見錯誤
2. related to the most important or central part of something, rather than small or
related to the most important or central part of something, rather than small or secondary details
Though they disagreed on small points, there was substantial agreement on the core plan.
substantial agreement on [topic]
The committee addressed the substantial issues of safety and funding before discussing minor matters.
No substantial changes were made to the final version of the law.
The judge found no substantial difference between the two arguments.
- essential
stresses the fundamental nature of something, without which it would not be what it is
- fundamental
focuses on being the basis or foundation of something
- main
simpler and less formal; indicates the most important part
- minor
smaller or less important
- incidental
occurring as a minor accompaniment to something else
文法句型
substantial + noun (agreement, issue, matter, point)
用法筆記
Frequently found in legal, academic, and formal business contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense does not refer to quantity but to importance of content.
常見錯誤
3. large and strong in physical form; made so that it can last and support weight
large and strong in physical form; made so that it can last and support weight
The old farmhouse had substantial stone walls that kept the rooms cool in summer.
substantial + noun describing physical structure
Dario chose a substantial oak table that would last for decades.
The bridge needed substantial concrete supports to carry the heavy lorries.
Nikos was a tall, substantial man with broad shoulders and strong hands.
The warehouse had thick, substantial walls that blocked out most of the noise.
- sturdy
emphasises resistance to wear or damage; stronger but less about size
- solid
suggests firmness and lack of weak points; more informal
- heavy-duty
informal; describes objects designed for hard use
文法句型
substantial + noun (building, wall, table, structure)
用法筆記
Can describe a person's physical build in a neutral or positive way. Unlike 'sturdy', which focuses on resistance to damage, 'substantial' implies both size and strength.
常見錯誤
4. real and based on facts or evidence, rather than imagined, pretended, or lacking
real and based on facts or evidence, rather than imagined, pretended, or lacking solid support
The police gathered substantial evidence linking the suspect to the crime.
substantial evidence
The charity requires substantial proof of need before distributing funds.
There is no substantial basis for the rumours about the company being sold.
Élise felt her concerns were dismissed without any substantial reason.
文法句型
substantial + noun (evidence, basis, reason, proof)
用法筆記
Common in formal writing about arguments, claims, and investigations. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'substantial' is about reality and truth, not quantity — a 'substantial amount of evidence' (sense 1) means a lot of evidence, while 'substantial evidence' (this sense) means convincing, solid evidence.