Substanzielle

Substanzielle is the attributive form of the German adjective substanziell, meaning substantial, material, or meaningful. It is used to describe something with real substance or importance, rather than something superficial or incidental. The word stems from Substanz (substance) and carries a sense of content, heft, or significance in a given context. In English, it is often translated as substantial, material, or considerable, depending on the nuance.

Usage and nuances: Substanzielle is common in formal, analytical, and policy-oriented writing. It highlights the substantive content, impact, or value of a thing rather than purely numerical size. For example: substanzielle Unterschiede (substantial differences), substanzielle Beweise or substanzielle Begründung (substantial evidence or justification), substanzielle Bedeutung (substantial significance). The term can describe material resources, core arguments, or meaningful impact within a discussion.

Relation to related terms: Substanziell is the base adjective, and substanzielle is one of its inflected forms used before feminine singular nouns (e.g., eine substanzielle Veränderung) and, with the plural, before plural nouns (substanzielle Veränderungen). The word is distinct from wesentlich or bedeutend, though overlaps exist: substanziell emphasizes substance or material content, while wesentlich stresses essential importance.

See also: Substanz, substanziell, substantiver Wortschatz. Substanzielle usage appears across disciplines, including law, economics, and academic analysis, to denote depth, credibility, and real content.