substans

Substans is a term used in several languages, most often meaning substance: the material or matter of which something consists. It derives from Latin substantia, from sub- “under” and stat- “to stand,” originally referring to what underlies a thing’s appearance.

In science, a substance is a pure chemical substance with a fixed composition. Substances include elements (like hydrogen, gold) and compounds (like water, sodium chloride). This contrasts with mixtures, which have variable composition and can be separated into components by physical means. The concept is central in chemistry, where purity, stoichiometry, and consistent properties are defining features.

In philosophy, substans (substance) denotes the fundamental bearer of properties and change—the underlying being that persists through attributes. Philosophical theories differ on what counts as a substance, how substances relate to properties, and whether substance is a single enduring entity or a bundle of relations and qualities.

In everyday language, substans also means the essential content or practical matter of something—the substance of an argument or the core meaning of a text. In legal, regulatory, and policy contexts, the term is used to refer to substantive issues or to regulated chemical substances, distinguishing them from procedural aspects or formalities.

Substans is used in Swedish and Norwegian as a direct equivalent of the English term substance and appears across scientific, philosophical, and general discourse, with nuances shaped by field, context, and language.