Revised 2012 More entries for "substantive"
substantiveadjective & noun
Factsheet
What does the word substantive mean?
There are 16 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word substantive, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
substantive has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the word substantive?
About 9occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 2.0 |
| 1760 | 3.8 |
| 1770 | 4.9 |
| 1780 | 5.4 |
| 1790 | 4.7 |
| 1800 | 5.0 |
| 1810 | 5.1 |
| 1820 | 4.8 |
| 1830 | 4.3 |
| 1840 | 4.2 |
| 1850 | 4.0 |
| 1860 | 3.8 |
| 1870 | 3.4 |
| 1880 | 3.0 |
| 1890 | 2.6 |
| 1900 | 2.2 |
| 1910 | 2.3 |
| 1920 | 2.4 |
| 1930 | 2.6 |
| 1940 | 3.1 |
| 1950 | 4.2 |
| 1960 | 6.0 |
| 1970 | 7.8 |
| 1980 | 9.2 |
| 1990 | 9.5 |
| 2000 | 9.5 |
| 2010 | 9.3 |
How is the word substantive pronounced?
British English
/ˈsʌbst(ə)ntɪv/
SUB-stuhn-tiv
/səbˈstantɪv/
suhb-STAN-tiv
U.S. English
/ˈsəbstən(t)ɪv/
SUB-stuhn-tiv
Where does the word substantive come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word substantive is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for substantive is from before 1398, in the writing of John Trevisa, translator.
substantive is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: French substantif; Latin substantivus.
In other dictionaries
Nearby entries
- substantify, v.1605–
- substantifying, adj.1605–
- substantious, adj.1483–
- substantiously, adv.1507–
- substantiousness, n.1540–1876
- substantival, adj.1796–
- substantivally, adv.1844–
- substantivate, adj.c1400–1516
- substantivate, v.1613–
- substantivated, adj.1868–
- substantive, adj. & n.a1398–
- substantive, v.1678–
- substantive law, n.a1832–
- substantively, adv.a1500–
- substantiveness, n.1821–
- substantive rationality, n.1946–
- substantivism, n.1931–
- substantivist, n. & adj.1946–
- substantivity, n.1851–
- substantivization, n.1901–
- substantivize, v.1848–
Meaning & use
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Etymology
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for substantive, adj. & n.
substantive, adj. & n. was revised in June 2012
substantive, adj. & n. was last modified in July 2023
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into substantive, adj. & n. in July 2023.
Earlier versions of substantive, adj. & n. were published in:
OED First Edition (1914)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “”, . <>
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MLA9
“”. Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, , <>
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