verb
substantiate
suhb-STAN-shee-ayt
verb
1
To back up a claim with evidence or proof.
"The journalist could not substantiate the rumor, so she dropped the story."
"Receipts were needed to substantiate the expense claim."
How to Use Substantiate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo prove something is true by providing solid evidence.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
substantiate a claim
substantiate allegations
fail to substantiate
Word Forms
substantiated past tense, substantiates singular
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The journalist could not _____ the rumor, so she dropped the story.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin substantiatus, "given substance," first used in English in 1657.