substantiate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to establish by proof or competent evidence.
to substantiate a charge.
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to give substantial existence to.
to substantiate an idea through action.
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to affirm as having substance; give body to; strengthen.
to substantiate a friendship.
verb
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to establish as valid or genuine
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to give form or real existence to
Other Word Forms
- resubstantiate verb (used with object)
- substantiatable adjective
- substantiation noun
- substantiative adjective
- substantiator noun
- unsubstantiatable adjective
Etymology
Origin of substantiate
First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin substantiātus (past participle of substantiāre ), equivalent to Latin substanti(a) substance + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A West Midlands Police spokesman initially said: "There is currently no evidence to substantiate these claims of child sexual exploitation connected to shops in Dudley."
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
Through these chart reviews, the DOJ alleges, Aetna identified opportunities for additional payments from the Medicare agency, yet ignored the results when the chart reviews didn’t substantiate codes Aetna had already submitted to the agency.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
It is not much more than a piece of paper generated in a self-serving way by ICE, free of review to substantiate what is stated in it.
From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security said it could not substantiate the allegations.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025
But there was an unmistakable grooming about him, too; he was not one of those who used untidiness to substantiate their radicalism.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.