Substantially

How to spell substantially

13 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce substantially

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does substantially mean?

1. adverbTo a large or considerable degree; significantly.

Substantially in a sentence

• The new contract will substantially increase her annual income.

• Prices have risen substantially since the company changed suppliers.

Where does substantially come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word reaches back to the Latin verb stare, meaning 'to stand', combined with the prefix sub-, meaning 'under', to form substantia, literally 'that which stands underneath', the underlying essence or material of a thing. From substantia came the adjective substantialis, describing something real, solid, or of genuine matter. English took the adjective 'substantial' through Old French in the 1300s, and the adverb 'substantially' was formed on English soil by adding the familiar -ly ending. Over time the modern sense broadened from 'truly existing' to 'to a large or considerable degree', which is how adults use it most today. The spelling trap lives in the middle and the end: the -stant- carries the standing root, and the -tial cluster sounds like 'shul', so writers can easily drop a letter or reach for the wrong ending.

How the word is built

• sub- (under)
• stant- (from Latin stare, to stand)
• -ial (adjective suffix)
• -ly (adverb suffix)