| Noun | 1. | substantive - a noun or a pronoun that is used in place of a nounword - a unit of language that native speakers can identify; "words are the blocks from which sentences are made"; "he hardly said ten words all morning" noun - a word that can be used to refer to a person or place or thing | |
| Adj. | 1. | substantive - being the essence or essential element of a thing; "substantial equivalents"; "substantive information"essential - basic and fundamental; "the essential feature" | |
| 2. | substantive - applying to essential legal principles and rules of right; "substantive law"jurisprudence, law - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" adjective, procedural - applying to methods of enforcement and rules of procedure; "adjective law" | |
| 3. | substantive - having substance and prompting thought; "a meaty discussion"meaningful - having a meaning or purpose; "a meaningful explanation"; "a meaningful discussion"; "a meaningful pause" | |