Meanings
comparative more insubstantial · superlative most insubstantial
- Lacking substance; not real or strong.
The bridge was insubstantial and would not safely carry a car.
1 more example
By manipulating the flow of magic, Eragon quickly descended from the Ra'zac's lair—which the insubstantial wall of stone once again hid—to the ledge.
2008, Christopher Paolini, “Rider and Ra'zac”, in Brisingr, pages 67-8Synonyms: unsubstantial, airy, aery, ethereal, diaphanous, immaterial, tenuous, unreal
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLacking substance; not real or strong.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivelacking material form or substance; unreal
adjectivelacking in nutritive value
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininsubstantiālis
- Middle Frenchinsubstantiel
- Englishinsubstantial
Probably from Middle French insubstantiel, from Latin insubstantiālis, from in- + substantiālis. By surface analysis, in- + substantial.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian нематериален, нереален
- нематериален (nematerialen)Translations
- нереален (nerealen)Translations
Catalan insubstancial
- insubstancialTranslations
French insubstantiel
- insubstantielTranslations
Italian immateriale, inconsistente
- immaterialeTranslations
- inconsistenteTranslations
Japanese 実のない
- 実のない (minonai)Translations
Māori korekiko, kikokore
- korekikoTranslations
- kikokoreTranslations
Portuguese insubstancial
- insubstancialTranslations
Romanian nesubstanțial
- nesubstanțialTranslations
Spanish hueco, insustancial
- huecoTranslations
- insustancialTranslations
- vacíoTranslations
Cite this entry
insubstantial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insubstantial
“insubstantial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insubstantial. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “insubstantial,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/insubstantial.
Source: insubstantial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.