substantive
substantive — 形容詞
1. dealing with the most important or meaningful aspects of a subject rather than w
實質的
涉及重要事實或核心問題的
dealing with the most important or meaningful aspects of a subject rather than with minor details or appearances
The committee held a substantive discussion about the new housing policy.
委員會針對新的住宅政策進行了一場實質的討論。
collocation: substantive discussion / debate
What made the conversation substantive was that Indra brought real data from the field.
這場對話之所以有實質內容，是因為 Indra 帶來了實際數據。
sentence starting with what-clause as subject
Citizens want substantive answers from their leaders, not empty promises.
公民需要的是領導者提出實質的答覆，而非空洞的承諾。
A substantive debate on climate change requires facts, not opinions.
一場關於氣候變遷的實質辯論需要事實根據，而非個人意見。
After months of talks, the two sides reached a substantive agreement on trade.
經過數月的磋商，雙方就貿易問題達成了一項實質協議。
- meaningful
very close in meaning; 'meaningful' is slightly more subjective and emotional
- significant
broader — can refer to importance, amount, or effect
- weighty
more formal and serious; suggests matters of great consequence
- superficial
the direct opposite — dealing only with surface-level matters
- trivial
suggests the subject is unimportant rather than lacking depth
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal and academic contexts. The opposite of this sense is often 'superficial', 'trivial', or 'procedural'.
常見錯誤
2. large or significant in amount, number, or degree
大量的
數量或程度可觀的
large or significant in amount, number, or degree
The company made substantive investments in renewable energy last year.
該公司去年在再生能源方面進行了大量投資。
collocation: substantive investments / sum / increase
Substantive progress has been made in reducing child poverty over the past decade.
過去十年來，減少兒童貧困的工作取得了大量進展。
passive structure: 'substantive progress has been made'
João received a substantive salary increase after his promotion to manager.
João 晉升為經理後，獲得了大幅的薪資調漲。
There are substantive amounts of evidence supporting the new treatment.
有大量的證據支持這種新療法。
The charity raised a substantive sum for emergency relief after the floods.
該慈善機構為水災救援募集了一筆可觀的款項。
- considerable
nearly identical in meaning and register; slightly more common
- substantial
very close; 'substantial' is more common in everyday usage
- significant
broader; also covers importance, not just size or amount
- negligible
so small or unimportant that it can be ignored
- insignificant
too small or unimportant to matter
用法筆記
Common in business, academic, and journalistic writing. Considered more formal than 'big' or 'large'. Often used with nouns related to money, change, or measurable differences.
常見錯誤
3. relating to the actual rights and duties that the law creates and defines, as op
實體的
關於法律實質權利與義務的
relating to the actual rights and duties that the law creates and defines, as opposed to the rules and methods used in legal processes
The judge ruled on a substantive issue of contract law.
法官就合約法中的一個實體問題作出了裁決。
collocation: substantive issue [in law]
Substantive law defines what counts as theft; procedural law governs how trials are run.
實體法定義何種行為構成竊盜，而程序法則規範審判如何進行。
contrast: substantive law vs. procedural law
Soraya argued that the error violated a substantive right protected by the constitution.
Soraya 主張該錯誤侵犯了憲法所保障的一項實體權利。
Understanding the difference between substantive and procedural rules is essential for law students.
理解實體法與程序法之間的區別，對法律系學生至關重要。
Judge Chen's substantive ruling on the patent dispute set a precedent for future cases.
Chen 法官在專利糾紛中的實體判決，為未來案件樹立了判例。
- procedural
the direct opposite in legal contexts — relating to the process rather than the rights at stake
用法筆記
Used primarily in legal contexts to distinguish between rules that create and define rights and duties (substantive law) and rules about how legal processes work (procedural law). Contrast with sense 1 (MEANINGFUL), which is about general importance rather than legal rights.
常見錯誤
substantive — 名詞
1. in grammar, a word or phrase that serves the same purpose as a noun within a sen
名詞性詞語
在句中當名詞使用的詞或詞組
in grammar, a word or phrase that serves the same purpose as a noun within a sentence
In the sentence 'The rich should help the poor,' the phrase 'the rich' acts as a substantive.
在「The rich should help the poor」這個句子中，「the rich」這個詞組擔任名詞性詞語。
pattern: 'the + adjective' functioning as a substantive
The word 'swimming' can be used as a substantive in 'Swimming is good exercise.'
在「Swimming is good exercise」中，「swimming」這個字可作為名詞性詞語使用。
gerund as a substantive
Flipping through her grammar textbook, Mei noticed the author used 'substantive' instead of 'noun' for some word groups.
Mei 翻開她的文法課本，發現作者在討論某些詞組時用了「substantive」而非「noun」。
In her grammar exercise, Nina identified 'happiness' as a single-word substantive and 'what she said' as a phrasal one.
在文法練習中，Nina 判斷「happiness」是單字型的名詞性詞語，而「what she said」是詞組型的名詞性詞語。
- noun
the more common modern term; 'substantive' is a less frequent synonym
- noun phrase
specifically refers to a group of words functioning as a noun, while 'substantive' can be a single word
用法筆記
An older grammatical term that is less common in modern school grammar but still appears in some academic linguistic descriptions. 'Noun' is far more frequent in everyday teaching contexts.