substantially
gb/sʌbstˈænʃəli/ us/sʌbstˈænʃəli/
B2
English
~ 7400
Senses
0 senses
adverb
formal
B2
property
1
to a great extent; considerably
By a large amount; a lot.
Usage pattern:
to [verb] [something] substantially; to be substantially [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "substantial" instead of "substantially" before verbs or adjectives, e.g. *"Prices substantial increased"* (incorrect). Use the adverb form: "Prices **substantially increased**" or "Prices increased **substantially**."
Synonyms
considerably (Very close in meaning; common in both spoken and written English, slightly less formal.)
|
significantly (Often used when the amount or degree is important or meaningful, especially in academic or technical contexts.)
Antonyms
slightly (Indicates only a very small amount or degree, the opposite of a large change.)
|
marginally (Suggests only a tiny or barely noticeable amount, contrasting with a large extent.)
Collocations
substantially reduce
|substantially increase
|substantially higher
|substantially lower
|grow substantially
|change substantially
Themes
business
|science
|statistics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company’s profits increased substantially in the last quarter.
- Crime rates have fallen substantially over the past ten years.
- Our costs would rise substantially if we moved production overseas.
- Medical care has improved substantially in the last few decades.
- The new policy will substantially benefit low‑income families.
Learner examples
- Prices have gone up substantially this year.
- Her English has improved substantially since last summer.
- The city has grown substantially in the last twenty years.
adverb
formal
B2
property
2
almost completely; essentially
Almost completely; for the most part, but not 100%.
Usage pattern:
to be substantially [adjective]; to be substantially the same [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with a purely quantitative meaning and say things like *"substantially full"* in casual speech, where "almost full" or "nearly full" would sound more natural. "Substantially" in this sense is more formal and is common with words like "similar," "the same," "identical," "unchanged," and "complete."
Synonyms
essentially (Very close in meaning; slightly less formal and more common in everyday speech.)
|
virtually (Emphasizes that something is true in practice even if not in strict fact; often a little stronger than "substantially".)
Antonyms
barely (Shows that something is true only to a very small degree, almost not at all, opposite of "almost completely.")
|
partially (Suggests that only a limited part is true or the same, contrasting with "almost completely".)
Collocations
substantially similar
|substantially the same
|substantially identical
|substantially unchanged
|substantially all
Themes
law
|business
|academia
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The two contracts are substantially similar, with only minor wording changes.
- The building remains substantially unchanged from its original design.
- The new law is substantially the same as the old one.
- Our findings are substantially identical to those of the previous study.
- The work is substantially complete, with only a few details left to finish.
Learner examples
- The two plans are substantially the same.
- Her story is substantially true, but a few dates are wrong.
- The rules are substantially unchanged from last year.
adverb
formal
C1
property
3
true in all important parts
Basically correct or true, even if some small details are wrong.
Usage pattern:
to be substantially [adjective] (correct/true/accurate/justified)
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "substantially correct" means "very correct" in a purely quantitative way. It actually means "correct in all important parts, despite small errors," and is common in formal, legal, or academic writing.
Synonyms
basically (More informal; commonly used in speech where precision is less important.)
|
for the most part (Less formal phrase; does not carry the same legal or technical tone but has a similar "mostly true" idea.)
Antonyms
fundamentally (As an antonym in this context, often used in phrases like "fundamentally wrong," meaning wrong in core aspects rather than only in small details.)
|
materially (In legal/technical contexts, "not materially correct" contrasts with "substantially correct," implying that important parts are in error.)
Collocations
substantially correct
|substantially true
|substantially accurate
|substantially justified
Themes
law
|academia
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The witness’s statement was substantially true, despite a few minor mistakes.
- Your calculation is substantially correct, but you rounded one number incorrectly.
- The report is substantially accurate, although some figures are slightly outdated.
Learner examples
- His answer is substantially correct, but he forgot one small point.
- The article is substantially true, even if one date is wrong.
- Their description of the problem is substantially accurate.
Grammar
Dictionary form
substantially
IPA
GB/sʌbstˈænʃəli/
US/sʌbstˈænʃəli/
Syllables & stress
sub - stan - tially (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (stan)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: substantially
- Plural: substantiallies
Word family
Forms
substantiallies
noun
Core family
substance
noun B1
substantial
adjective B1
Related words
substantiate
verb C1
substantiation
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
insubstantial
adjective
Advanced or less common
substantive
adjective C1
substantively
adverb
Expressions
substantially all
1/sʌbstˈænʃəli ˈɔl/
fixed phrase
formal
almost all of something
Almost every person or thing in a group; almost the whole amount.
Examples
- The offer was accepted by substantially all of the employees.
- The company sold substantially all of its assets last year.
substantially identical
1/sʌbstˈænʃəli aɪdˈɛntɪkəl/
fixed phrase
formal
the same in all key details
The same in all important details, with at most very small differences.
Examples
- The two versions of the contract are substantially identical.
- Their test results are substantially identical, which supports the earlier study.
substantially similar
1/sʌbstˈænʃəli sˈɪmɪlɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
almost the same, with small differences
Almost the same, with only small or unimportant differences.
Examples
- The two products are substantially similar in design and performance.
- The court ruled that the new agreement was substantially similar to the previous one.
substantially the same
1/sʌbstˈænʃəli ðə sˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
formal
almost exactly the same
Almost exactly the same in all important ways, with no major differences.
Examples
- The new policy is substantially the same as the one it replaces.
- After revision, the final text remained substantially the same.