substantive Look up substantive at Dictionary.com
c.1470, "standing by itself," from O.Fr. substantif, from L.L. substantivum, neut. of L. substantivus "of substance or being," from substantia (see substance). The grammatical term (1393) was introduced by the Fr. to denote the noun in contradistinction to the adjective, from L. nomen substantivum "name or word of substance."