To show with evidence that a claim is true. Someone says something — an accusation, a report, a number in an advertisement — and you substantiate it by producing the documents, the witnesses, the test results that back it up. A formal verb: it belongs to courts, journalism, science and business, and in ordinary talk you would say 'prove' or 'back up' instead.

To show with evidence用證據證明 that a claim is true一個說法是真的 Someone says something有人說了什麼 an accusation, a report, a number in an advertisement一項指控、一份報告、廣告裡的一個數字 and you substantiate it你就substantiate它 by producing the documents, the witnesses, the test results that back it up靠提出文件、證人、檢驗結果來支持它 A formal verb這是個正式動詞 it belongs to courts, journalism, science and business屬於法庭、新聞、科學和商業的用語 and in ordinary talk you would say 'prove' or 'back up' instead日常講話會改說'prove'或'back up'

The pattern matters. You substantiate a claim, an allegation, a story, a figure — never a person and never a thing. You cannot substantiate your boss; you substantiate what your boss said.

The pattern matters搭配的用法很重要 You substantiate a claim, an allegation, a story, a figure你substantiate的是一項說法、一項指控、一個故事、一個數字 never a person and never a thing絕對不是一個人，也不是一件物品 You cannot substantiate your boss你不能substantiate你的老闆 you substantiate what your boss said你substantiate的是你老闆說過的話

Very often you meet it in the negative, and that is worth knowing: 'unsubstantiated rumours', 'the allegations could not be substantiated'. That phrasing is careful rather than final — it says no one managed to prove the thing, not that the thing is false, and journalists and lawyers choose it precisely because it stops short of saying so.

Very often you meet it in the negative你很常會在否定形式裡看到它 and that is worth knowing這點值得知道 'unsubstantiated rumours''unsubstantiated rumours'（未經證實的謠言） 'the allegations could not be substantiated''the allegations could not be substantiated'（這些指控無法被證實） That phrasing is careful rather than final這種說法是留有餘地的，不是下定論 it says no one managed to prove the thing它是說沒有人能證明這件事 not that the thing is false而不是說這件事是假的 and journalists and lawyers choose it precisely because it stops short of saying so記者和律師選擇這種說法，正是因為它剛好停在「說到那裡就好」