Substantially

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "substantially" is correct and usable in written English.
It is an adverb used to describe something as greatly or significantly increased or improved in amount, size, or degree. For example, "Their profits have substantially increased since the beginning of the year".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Today he had to admit that not only has he missed his debt target but that growth will be substantially lower than he forecast.

The Guardian - Opinion

"The show was substantially removed from the show that they bought," remembers Pattinson.

The Guardian

The troubled broadcaster, which suffered the dreaded zero audience rating for some of its shows after its launch on 31 March this year, was told by on Ofcom on Tuesday that the proposals were "significant variations" which would "substantially alter" its output.

The Guardian

They found a strong relationship between the outgoing long wavelength radiation (infrared energy) and temperature; however, this relationship varies substantially across the planet.

The Guardian

When Facebook's published its requests data, the general counsel, Ted Ullyot, wrote: "We aggressively protect our users' data when confronted with such requests: we frequently reject such requests outright, or require the government to substantially scale down its requests, or simply give the government much less data than it has requested".

The Guardian - Tech

But I did have a worry – which I took the precaution of tweeting on election day – that there could also be more specific reasons why the polls might be substantially wrong this time.

The Guardian - Opinion

AOn Wednesday, colleagues of Daly will present a substantially identical resolution on greenhouse gas emissions at a shareholder meeting convened by fellow oil company Chevron.

The Guardian - Business

But that song had the advantage of a substantially more homogeneous pop landscape, filled with vanilla tunes like Jason Mraz's I'm Yours and Miley Cyrus's The Climb, and it used the popular chord progression of the Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling as a foundation throughout.

The Guardian - Music

The Green new deal calls for the re-regulation of finance and taxation, linked to a transformational economic programme to substantially reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

The Guardian - Opinion

DfID said it will ensure CDC only invests via jurisdictions deemed to have substantially implemented tax standards, according to the OECD global forum on tax and transparency.

The Guardian

Nationwide, which holds around a fifth of Britain's personal savings balances, angered customers after it began paying substantially more interest on its two- and three-year savings bonds than on its near-identical Isa accounts.

The Guardian - Money

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "substantially" to indicate a significant change or difference, particularly when quantifying the impact is difficult but the effect is clearly noticeable.

Common error

Avoid using "substantially" in casual conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "really" or "a lot" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

Substantially primarily functions as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate a significant degree or extent. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a grammatically correct and widely used term. Examples from Ludwig showcase its usage in various contexts, such as "growth will be substantially lower" or "substantially reduce our dependence."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Formal & Business

17%

Science

17%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "substantially" is a versatile adverb that indicates a significant degree or extent. As Ludwig AI states, its usage is grammatically correct. It is commonly found in news, formal business contexts, and scientific writing, suggesting a neutral to formal register. When writing, it's crucial to use "substantially" to show considerable impact, keeping in mind that simpler alternatives might be more appropriate for informal settings. Ludwig's examples reveal the wide range of contexts in which "substantially" is applicable, from discussing economic growth to describing the modification of creative works.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considerably

Emphasizes a noteworthy amount or degree.

significantly

Highlights the importance or impact of the degree or change.

markedly

Suggests a noticeable and distinct difference.

noticeably

Implies that something is easily observed or detected.

appreciably

Indicates a change that is large enough to be important or valued.

to a great extent

A more formal phrase emphasizing the broad impact.

to a considerable degree

Formal alternative, highlighting the degree or level.

in large measure

Implies that something is true or responsible for something else to a significant degree.

essentially

Focuses on the fundamental nature or core aspect.

fundamentally

Indicates a basic and important level.

FAQs

How to use "substantially" in a sentence?

"Substantially" is an adverb that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example: "The company's profits increased "substantially" this year."

What can I say instead of "substantially"?

You can use alternatives like "considerably", "significantly", or "markedly" depending on the specific context.

Which is correct, "substantially increase" or "substantial increase"?

"Substantially increase" is a verb phrase where "substantially" modifies the verb "increase". "Substantial increase" is a noun phrase where "substantial" is an adjective modifying the noun "increase". Both are correct but have different grammatical functions.

What's the difference between "substantially" and "essentially"?

"Substantially" refers to a significant degree or amount, while "essentially" refers to the fundamental nature or core aspect of something. For example, "The project was "substantially" completed" means most of it was done, while "The project was "essentially" completed" means the core components were finished.