that of which a thing consists; physical matter or material

form and substance.

a species of matter of definite chemical composition

a chalky substance.

controlled substance.

the subject matter of thought, discourse, study, etc.

the actual matter of a thing, as opposed to the appearance or shadow; reality.

substantial or solid character or quality

claims lacking in substance.

consistency; body

soup without much substance.

the meaning or gist, as of speech or writing.

something that has separate or independent existence.

Philosophy .

something that exists by itself and in which accidents or attributes inhere; that which receives modifications and is not itself a mode; something that is causally active; something that is more than an event.

the essential part of a thing; essence.

a thing considered as a continuing whole.

possessions, means, or wealth

to squander one's substance.

Linguistics . the articulatory or acoustic reality or the perceptual manifestation of a word or other construction ( distinguished from form ).

a standard of weights for paper. ?

in substance

concerning the essentials; substantially.

actually; really

That is in substance how it appeared to me.

noun

poverty

noun

actuality , animal , being , body , bulk , concreteness , core , corpus , fabric , force , hunk , individual , item , mass , material , matter , object , person , phenomenon , reality , something , staple , stuff , texture , thing , abcs , amount , basis , bottom , bottom line * , brass tacks * , burden , center , crux , drift , effect , essentiality , focus , general meaning , gist , gravamen , guts * , heart , import , innards , kernel , marrow , meat * , name of the game * , nitty-gritty * , nub , nuts and bolts * , pith , point , purport , quintessence , sense , significance , soul , strength , subject , sum total , tenor , theme , thrust , upshot , virtuality , way of it , affluence , assets , estate , fortune , means , property , resources , riches , worth , materiality , nature , essence , meat , root , spirit , aim , intent , meaning , tendency , backbone , corporeality , corporeity , element , entity , essentials , ingredient , ore , physicality , resource , solidity , substantiality , wealth