Word of the Day: SUBSTANTIVE

Regarding the essence of a thing

substantive (adj) - having substance, evidence, or a firm basis in reality; important, serious, or meaningful; existing or functioning independently [suhb-stuhn-tiv]

• in grammar, a substantive is a word or a group of words functioning as a noun or noun phrase

BREAKDOWN: SUB- (under) + STAN- (to stand) + -IVE (act of)

• substance described the essence or quality of a thing

• a substance is any form of matter with particular properties

“The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.” —Carl Sagan