Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To prove the truth of or support with proof or evidence: synonym: confirm.
- transitive verb To give substance to; make real or actual.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To make to exist; make real or actual.
- To establish by proof or competent evidence; verify; make good: as, to
substantiate a charge or an allegation; to substantiate a declaration. - To present as having substance; body forth.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To make to exist; to make real.
- transitive verb To establish the existence or truth of by proof or competent evidence; to verify.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive to
verify something by supplyingevidence ; tocorroborate orauthenticate - verb transitive to give
material form orsubstance to something; toembody
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb represent in bodily form
- verb solidify, firm, or strengthen
- verb make real or concrete; give reality or substance to
- verb establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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About the worst anyone can substantiate is that Obama derailed another Democrat or two for using fake signatures to get on the ballot.
Whither McCain on Stevens’ Indictment? - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
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I have waited for many hours now for anyone to substantiate a word of what Shuster said.
Think Progress » MSNBC’s Shuster: Signs Point To Rove Indictment 2006
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More-over, those who used his name to substantiate their own pet notions, those who would quote and misquote him endlessly, would find it convenient to forget that it was he who insisted that no canal should be considered until the comparative advantages and disadvantages of all possible routes were examined firsthand by experienced people and according to uniform standards.
The Path Between the Seas DAVID McCULLOUGH. 2005
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More-over, those who used his name to substantiate their own pet notions, those who would quote and misquote him endlessly, would find it convenient to forget that it was he who insisted that no canal should be considered until the comparative advantages and disadvantages of all possible routes were examined firsthand by experienced people and according to uniform standards.
The Path Between the Seas DAVID McCULLOUGH. 2005
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CQ reported that not only were they true, but transcripts of Jane's recorded calls substantiate them.
LewRockwell.com 2009
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When you concoct facts that aren't there and then insist on them to "substantiate" your ignorance, then don't be surprised if people think you're not rational.
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Another question: what do you mean by "substantiate" If you mean, can they "prove" the validity of NDE, I'd agree that the number is zero.
The Memory Hole 2005
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That she insists that I would have to present to her a description of my daily life that meets her standards in order to "substantiate" my position to her satisfaction does, indeed, warrant a responsive demand that she first prove to me she has any standing or authority that I should recognize.
Archive 2006-07-01 M-mv 2006
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Even our Reviewer finds evidence to "substantiate" that, given against George Burroughs, resting on spectres, in his feats of strength, in some malignant neighborhood scandals, and in exaggerated forms of parish or personal animosities.
Salem Witchcraft and Cotton Mather A Reply Charles Wentworth Upham 1838
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Freedom Foundation and Competitive Enterprise Institute to author studies designed to "substantiate" their claims for greater subsidies.
CounterPunch 2010
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