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Origin and history of substantial

substantial(adj.)

mid-14c., substancial, "ample, sizeable," from Old French substantiel (13c.) and directly from Latin substantialis "having substance or reality, material," in Late Latin "pertaining to the substance or essence," from substantia "being, essence, material" (see substance).

The meaning "existing, being a substance, having real existence" is from late 14c. Also from late 14c. in philosophy and theology, "pertaining to the very nature of a thing," hence "central, basic, involving an essential part or point. Also by late 14c. of solid material, "firm, hard."

Related: Substantially; substantialist; substantialism; substantiality. Alternative adjective substantious (1610s) and the noun substantiousness did not stick.

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to substantial

substance(n.)

c. 1300, substaunce, "divine part or essence" common to the persons of the Trinity;" mid-14c. in philosophy and theology, "that which exists by itself; essential nature; type or kind of thing; real or essential part;" from Old French sustance, substance "goods, possessions; nature, composition" (12c.), from Latin substantia "being, essence, material." This is from substans, present participle of substare "stand firm, stand or be under, be present," from sub "up to, under" (see sub-) + stare "to stand" (from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm").

Latin substantia translates Greek ousia "that which is one's own, one's substance or property; the being, essence, or nature of anything."

The figurative and general meaning "any kind of corporeal matter, stuff," is attested from mid-14c. As "material wealth, property, goods," late 14c.

The sense of "the matter of a study, discourse, etc.; content of a speech or literary work" is recorded late 14c. That of "meaning expressed by a speech or writing," as distinguished from style, form, performance, is by 1780.

unsubstantial(adj.)

mid-15c., "not real;" 1590s, "not solid;" 1610s, "weak, flimsy;" from un- (1) "not" + substantial (adj.).

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    1570s, "having or conveying a meaning," from Latin significantem (nominative significans), present participle of significare "make known, indicate" (see signify). Earlier in the same sense was significative; also significate (adj.) "indicated, signified"(early 15c.). From 1590s a
    real
    early 14c., "actually existing, having physical existence (not imaginary);" mid-15c., "relating to things" (especially property), from Old French reel "real, actual," from Late Latin realis "actual," in Medieval Latin "belonging to the thing itself," from Latin res "property, goo
    material
    mid-14c., "real, ordinary; earthly, drawn from the material world" (contrasted with spiritual, mental, supernatural), a term in scholastic philosophy and theology, from Old French material, materiel (14c.) and directly from Late Latin materialis (adj.) "of or belonging to matter,
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    supper
    Formerly, the last of the three meals of the day (breakfast, dinner, and supper); now applied to the last substantial meal...
    dinette
    This has ever since been the favourite Court meal, being in reality a substantial hot repast, which has exploded the old-fashioned...
    square
    mid-13c., "mason's tool for measuring right angles, carpenter's square," from Old French esquire "a square, squareness," from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, a back-formation from *exquadrare "to square," from Latin ex "out" (see ex-) + quadrare "make square, set in order, complete," fro
    solid
    late 14c., "not empty or hollow, hardened;" of figures or bodies, "having three dimensions," from Old French solide "firm, dense, compact," from Latin solidus "firm, whole, undivided, entire," figuratively "sound, trustworthy, genuine," from suffixed form of PIE root *sol- "whole
    substantive
    late 14c., substantif, in grammatical use, "noun, part of speech that can be the subject or object of a verb," from Old French substantif and Latin substantivus, noun use of adjective, etymologically "self-existent, of substance or being" (see substantive (adj.)). The adjective w

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