Added 3 October 2026
substance
/ˈsʌbstəns/ noun
In Latin: substantia, materia Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about substance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Physical matter; material.
- A form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties.
- The essential part of anything; the most vital part.
verb
- To give substance to; to make real or substantial.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English substance, from Old French substance, from Latin substantia (“substance, essence”), from substāns, present active participle of substō (“exist”, literally “stand under”), from sub + stō (“stand”). Displaced native Old English andweorc.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)