not substantial; specif.,
- not real; imaginary
- not solid or firm; weak or flimsy
Origin of insubstantial
Medieval Latin insubstantialisinsubstantial
in·sub·stan·tialWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"insubstantial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/insubstantial>.
APA Style
insubstantial. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/insubstantial
insubstantial
adjective
- Not firm or solid; weak or flimsy: a shed made of insubstantial materials.
- Very small or negligible, as in importance, size, or amount: an insubstantial volume of traffic.
- Lacking or appearing to lack substance or reality: “the insubstantial vapor of an autumn field” ( Loren Eiseley )
Related Forms:
- in′sub·stan′ti·al′i·ty
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"insubstantial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/insubstantial>.
APA Style
insubstantial. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/insubstantial
Adjective
(comparative more insubstantial, superlative most insubstantial)
Origin
in- + substantial
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"insubstantial." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/insubstantial>.
APA Style
insubstantial. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/insubstantial
