noun
substance
SUHBS-tuhns
noun
1
A particular kind of physical matter with distinct properties.
"The lab identified an unknown substance on the fabric."
2
The essential or most important part of something.
"There's no real substance to his argument."
3
An illegal drug, especially referred to in formal or legal contexts.
"He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance."
How to Use Substance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPhysical material, or figuratively, the real, meaningful core of something (like an argument).
Common pairings
controlled substance
lack substance
a strange substance
Word Forms
substanced past tense, substances plural, substances singular
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The lab identified an unknown _____ on the fabric.
Etymology
From Latin substantia, "essence, being" — from substō, "to stand firm, exist," literally "to stand under."