substantiate

Substantiate is a transitive verb meaning to provide evidence or data that supports the truth of a claim, assertion, or theory. To substantiate something is to give it substance in the sense of making it credible through corroborating materials, testimony, or results. The term is commonly used in legal, scientific, academic, and journalistic contexts.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin substantia “substance” and substantiare “to make substantial,” via earlier forms in Middle Latin and Old French. It entered English in the 15th century with the sense of giving substance to something by evidence.

Usage notes and examples: You might say, “The contract was substantiated by multiple witnesses,” or “The researcher substantiates the hypothesis with experimental data.” Substantiate is typically transitive and takes a direct object (allegation, claim, theory) and is often followed by with or by (evidence, documentation, data).

Relation to related terms: Substantiate overlaps with corroborate, validate, and verify, but subtle distinctions exist: verify or prove emphasize correctness or truth, while substantiate emphasizes supplying credible support. In legal contexts, absence of substantiation can weaken a claim; credible substantiation can influence judgments.