a particular type of matter with uniform properties
The customs officer opened the suitcase and found a white powdery substance inside.
Ice is simply the solid form of the same substance we drink as water.
✦ From Middle English "substaunce", from Old French, from Latin "substantia" meaning "being, essence, material".
the quality of being meaningful, important, or having real value
The governor’s speech was long, but it lacked substance and failed to answer any real questions.
Readers appreciate articles with real substance instead of shallow gossip.
✦ Evolved figurative sense from the original meaning of material essence; recorded in English since the 14th century.
a drug, especially one that is illegal or can be abused
The clinic helps people who struggle with substance addiction.
Police seized the illegal substance hidden in the truck.
✦ Modern sense arose in the 20th century as a neutral technical term in medicine and law for drugs and chemicals.
