sterling vs substantial

sterling

adj
  • Genuine; true; pure; of great value or excellence. 

  • Of, or relating to British currency, or the former British coinage. 

  • Of, relating to, or made from sterling silver. 

  • Of acknowledged worth or influence; high quality; authoritative. 

noun
  • The currency of the United Kingdom; especially the pound. 

  • A structure of pilings that protects the piers of a bridge; a starling. 

  • Sterling silver, or articles made from this material. 

  • Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness: for gold 0.91666 and for silver 0.925. 

substantial

adj
  • Not imaginary; real; actual; true; veritable. 

  • Most important; essential. 

  • Having a substance; actually existing. 

  • Corporeal; material; firm. 

  • Possessed of goods or an estate; moderately wealthy. 

  • Satisfying; having sufficient substance to be nourishing or filling. 

  • Large in size, quantity, or value; ample; significant. 

  • Having good substance; strong; stout; solid; firm. 

noun
  • Anything having substance; an essential part. 

How often have the words sterling and substantial occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )