a substantial object

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a substantial object" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to an object that has significant size, weight, or importance in a particular context. Example: "The archaeologists discovered a substantial object buried beneath the ancient ruins, which they believed to be a ceremonial artifact."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The fact that we observed a substantial object repetition benefit that was additive with all manipulations of perceptual attention the location of the arrows, as well as the difficulty of perceptual discrimination shows that the selection of an object in WM is not undone by the subsequent selection of a perceptual stimulus.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Understood magically as an emanation of the divine, the word or a name or a part of a word can become an independent hypostatized (substantial) object, a representation, or even the incarnation of the divine, such as the Logos (Word) in the Gospel According to John or hū ("he") and al-ḥaqq ("the truth") in Islamic mysticism or the name Metatron in Kabbala.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The substantial objects of a life that has evaporated".

The New York Times - Books

DE MONTEBELLO: Between 1970 and 2006, we're talking about 36, 37 years, during which time a great number of very substantial objects of great merit have found their way into collections and onto the market.

The New York Times - Arts

On the other hand, it directly confronts the nature of human existence in its ineluctable finitude: karmically conditioned, discriminative and reifying in awareness, and given to the afflicting passions of attachment to a falsely conceived self surrounded by substantial objects.

SEP

This strategic orientation aligns with the ontological orientation of complexity absorption that "sees reality as a process devoid of any solid substantial objects that can be relied on to stay the same" (Cavaleri, 2008, p. 476); thus, the strategic stance is the one in which an individual is continuously evaluating on a moment by moment basis the situation in which one finds oneself.

Frontiers of Business Research in China

Though they are all solid, substantial objects, they feed dreams because they often combine the useful and everyday functions with an ungraspable strangeness or singularity.

The New York Times

By 1980, the combination stared mutating, minus the wallpaper, into single, more substantial objects displayed on sconcelike shelves.

The New York Times - Arts

Artifacts in the wide sense form an ontologically heterogeneous collection of entities which extends across the traditional philosophical boundaries between concreta and abstracta, and substantial objects, events, and processes.

SEP

Proteomics affords a substantial diversity of object identifiers, ranging from RefSeq and Entrez Gene identifiers to UniProtKB accession numbers.

Bioinformatics

This means that unless its discovery was a freak accident, there is probably a substantial population of objects roughly Sedna's diameter yet to be observed in its orbital region.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a substantial object" when you want to convey that an item has significant size, weight, or importance in a particular context. For instance, use it to describe archaeological finds or items of considerable value.

Common error

Avoid using "a substantial object" to describe everyday items where simpler terms like "large" or "heavy" would suffice. Overusing "substantial" can make your writing sound overly formal or pretentious.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a substantial object" functions as a noun phrase, where "substantial" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "object". According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

7%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a substantial object" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe items of considerable size, mass, or importance. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is acceptable for use in formal writing and speech. While applicable across various contexts, it appears most frequently in science, news, and encyclopedic sources. When considering alternatives, "a significant item" or "a considerable object" are good substitutes depending on the desired nuance. Be mindful to avoid overusing this phrase in informal contexts where simpler adjectives might be more appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an important object

Focuses on the object's significance or value.

a significant item

Replaces "substantial" with "significant", emphasizing importance.

a significant entity

Replaces "object" with "entity" to denote something with distinct and independent existence.

a considerable object

Uses "considerable" to highlight the object's noteworthy size or impact.

a major item

Highlights the object's importance or role.

a sizable object

Focuses primarily on the object's size or quantity.

a notable object

Suggests the object is worthy of attention.

a large object

Simplifies the phrase to emphasize the object's physical dimensions.

a weighty object

Implies the object is heavy or important.

a bulky object

Emphasizes the object's large size and unwieldiness.

FAQs

How can I use "a substantial object" in a sentence?

You can use "a substantial object" to describe something that is large, heavy, or important. For example: "The archaeologists discovered "a substantial object" buried beneath the ancient ruins." or "The museum acquired "a substantial object" for its permanent collection".

What can I say instead of "a substantial object"?

You can use alternatives like "a significant item", "a considerable object", or "a large object" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "a substantial object" or "an important object"?

The choice depends on what you want to emphasize. "A substantial object" highlights size, weight, or amount, while "an important object" emphasizes significance or value. Use the phrase that best fits the context.

What's the difference between "a substantial object" and "a significant object"?

While both phrases imply importance, "a substantial object" often refers to physical size or quantity, whereas "a significant object" usually refers to importance or impact.