substantiate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
    affirm; support; confirm; corroborate; sustain.
    • his story confirmed my doubts
    • The evidence supports the defendant
  2. verb represent in bodily form
    embody; incarnate; body forth.
    • He embodies all that is evil wrong with the system
    • The painting substantiates the feelings of the artist
  3. verb make real or concrete; give reality or substance to
    actualize; realize; realise; actualise.
    • our ideas must be substantiated into actions
  4. verb solidify, firm, or strengthen
    • The president's trip will substantiate good relations with the former enemy country

WordNet

Sub*stan"ti*ate transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Substantiated ; present participle & verbal noun Substantiating
Definitions
  1. To make to exist; to make real. Ayliffe.
  2. To establish the existence or truth of by proof or competent evidence; to verify; as, to substantiate a charge or allegation; to substantiate a declaration.
    Observation is, in turn, wanted to direct and substantiate the course of experiment. Coleridge.

Webster 1913