Substantiated
/səbˈstænʃiˌeɪtɪd/
adjectiveverbC1past tense, past participle
Definition
To substantiate means to provide facts, information, or evidence that prove something is true. When something is substantiated, it has been checked and confirmed with real proof or clear reasons. This word is often used in formal situations like reports, studies, or legal cases.
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See It in Action
Supported or proven with evidence
- •The scientist substantiated her theory with many experiments.
- •The claim was substantiated by several eyewitnesses.
- •His statement was substantiated by the video footage.
(Verb form) To provide evidence or proof for something
- •The lawyer substantiated the defendant’s alibi with phone records.
- •Researchers must substantiate their findings before publishing.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'substantiated' like 'proved,' but more formal and used when showing strong evidence
- ✓Picture a detective finding clues that clearly show what happened—those clues substantiate the story
- ✓It feels like relief or trust when you know something is substantiated because you see real proof
- ✓Sounds like 'sub-STAN-shee-ay-ted' → imagine someone standing firmly (stand) on solid ground with evidence
- ✓Think of a courtroom where lawyers must substantiate their claims with documents and witnesses
- ✓NOT like 'guess' or 'say' without proof—substantiated means you have real evidence, not just opinion
- ✓NOT like 'assume' which is a thought without proof—substantiated means you have confirmed facts
Try Other Words
- •Confirmed: shown to be true (Use when you want to say something is definitely true after checking)
- •Verified: checked and found correct (Use when accuracy or truth is checked carefully)
- •Demonstrated: shown clearly by example or proof (Use when you want to show how something works or is true)
- •Proved: shown with evidence to be true (Use in general situations of showing truth)
Unboxing
- •Prefix 'sub-' means 'under' or 'from below,' suggesting support from beneath
- •Root 'stant' comes from Latin 'stare,' meaning 'to stand'
- •Suffix '-iate' turns the root into a verb meaning 'to make stand' or 'to support'
- •Etymology: From Latin 'substantiāre,' meaning 'to give substance or strength'
- •Originally used to mean giving real existence or proof to an idea or claim
- •Today used mainly in legal, scientific, and formal contexts to mean proving with evidence
Reflect & Connect
•How do you decide if information you hear is substantiated or just an opinion?
•Can something be true even if it is not yet substantiated? Why or why not?
Fill in the blanks
1.The scientist substantiated her hypothesis by providing ___ from the experiments.
2.To win the case, the lawyer needed to have ___ evidence that proved the defendant’s story.
3.Unlike rumors, substantiated claims are based on ___ facts and proof.
4.The article was criticized because it lacked ___ sources to support its statements.
5.When a theory is substantiated, it usually means researchers have ___ it carefully.
6.People feel more confident in decisions when those decisions are ___ by strong evidence.
7.The manager asked for documents that could ___ the employee’s request for a raise.