Substantive demands

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "substantive demands" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts where you are referring to significant or meaningful requests or requirements, often in legal, political, or negotiation discussions. For example: "The organization presented substantive demands during the negotiations." Alternative expressions include "meaningful requests" and "significant requirements."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The substantive demands of due process necessarily go hand in hand with the procedural, and the cases insist at the least on an opportunity for a detainee to challenge the reason claimed for committing him.

The New York Times

Some of the union's more substantive demands - for a lessening of censorship, the right to strike and form independent trade unions, an end to special privileges for the Communist elite and more pluralism in political life - have clearly fallen by the wayside.

The New York Times

But material necessary truths—such as that expressed by "yellow is incompatible with blue"—appear to make just as substantive demands upon the world as contingent truths do (Molnar 2000: 74).

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

But the bankers also had a more substantive demand: they want higher interest rates, despite the persistence of very high unemployment in the United States and Europe, because they say that low rates are feeding inflation.

The New York Times

Blacks have, critics suggested, traded away substantive policy demands for the largely symbolic psychological and emotional victory of having a black president and first family in the White House for eight years.

The Washington Post

Based on this logic, a bill could meet every single one of Nelson's substantive policy demands, but if all Republicans in the Senate said they were going to vote against it, Nelson would probably vote against it (or, at minimum, he is saying "he would have trouble backing" it).

Huffington Post

Outside of the Muslim Brotherhood, the only substantive ideological demand of Egyptian opposition was greater capitalist efficiency and democratic procedure.

Huffington Post

So, the real questions is can renewable scale to not only… it's only a 20% today between renewable and nuclear in terms of the overall energy mix and keep in mind that there's going to be a substantive increase in demands because the population is growing, so we're saying about 30% increase in demand by say 2040 or so.

Columbia University

The foundationalist view of moral intuitions held by McMahan (2000) and perhaps other recent theorists who draw extensively on moral intuitions in their work in substantive ethics also demands some story about their reliability and so does not avoid this difficulty, even if the view also allows for defeasibility of some of the foundational intuitions.

SEP

In June 1642 Charles rejected the Nineteen Propositions, the last substantive set of demands made by Parliament prior to the outbreak of the First English Civil War.

Wikipedia

MPs demanded substantive information on antisemitic incidents.

The Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "substantive demands", ensure the context clearly indicates that the demands are significant and not merely superficial. Use it when you want to emphasize the importance and depth of the requirements being made.

Common error

Avoid using "substantive demands" in contexts where the demands are minor or trivial. Overusing the term can dilute its impact and make your writing sound unnecessarily formal or pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "substantive demands" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective 'substantive' modifies the noun 'demands'. It highlights the significant or essential nature of the requests or requirements being made. The Ludwig examples show its use in legal, political, and philosophical contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "substantive demands" is a grammatically correct and meaningfully charged phrase used to describe significant or essential requirements. As Ludwig AI confirms, it frequently appears in news, academic, and scientific contexts. While not as common as other similar phrases, its use underscores the importance and depth of the demands being made. When employing this phrase, ensure the context justifies the weight of the term "substantive" to avoid sounding unnecessarily formal. Consider alternatives like "significant requirements" or "essential requests" to best suit the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Significant requirements

Focuses on the importance of the requirements.

Essential requests

Highlights the necessity of the requests.

Meaningful demands

Emphasizes the value and impact of the demands.

Key requirements

Stresses the importance of certain requirements.

Critical needs

Underlines the urgency and importance of the needs.

Major expectations

Focuses on the high level of expectations.

Vital requests

Highlights that the requests are extremely important.

Crucial requirements

Emphasizes that the requirements are critical for success.

Important claims

Refers to claims that are significant and relevant.

Fundamental needs

Refers to needs that form a necessary base or core.

FAQs

How to use "substantive demands" in a sentence?

You can use "substantive demands" to describe significant requests or requirements, such as: "The protesters presented a list of "substantive demands" to the government." It emphasizes the importance and depth of what is being asked.

What can I say instead of "substantive demands"?

You can use alternatives like "significant requirements", "essential requests", or "meaningful demands" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "substantive demands"?

Use "substantive demands" when you want to emphasize that the requests are not trivial and require significant attention or action. It's appropriate in formal contexts like negotiations, legal proceedings, or policy discussions.

What's the difference between "substantive demands" and "routine requests"?

"Substantive demands" refers to significant, impactful requirements, while "routine requests" are typical, everyday requests that don't require special attention. The former implies a deeper issue or need, whereas the latter is more commonplace.