Link Centre Dictionary

insubstantial

in·subs·tan·tial

US/ˌɪnsʌˈbstænʃʌl/ uncommon

adjective

1.

lacking material form or substance; unreal

  • “as insubstantial as a dream”
  • “an insubstantial mirage on the horizon”
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2.

lacking in nutritive value

  • “the jejune diets of the very poor”
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Origin

Probably from Middle French insubstantiel, from Latin insubstantiālis, from in- + substantiālis. By surface analysis, in- + substantial.

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See also

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.