material vs substance

material

noun
  • The substance that something is made or composed of. 

  • All of a player's pieces and pawns on the chessboard. 

  • Related data of various kinds, especially if collected as the basis for a document or book. 

  • Matter which may be shaped or manipulated, particularly in making something. 

  • Text written for a specific purpose. 

  • A sample or specimens for study. 

  • Cloth to be made into a garment. Fabric. 

  • An element of a design language associated with a certain style of rendering on the display. 

  • A person, or people collectively, who are qualified for a certain position or activity. 

adj
  • Significant. 

  • Having to do with matter; consisting of matter. 

  • Worldly, as opposed to spiritual. 

substance

noun
  • A form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. 

  • Physical matter; material. 

  • Material possessions; estate; property; resources. 

  • Hypostasis. 

  • Drugs (illegal narcotics) 

  • Substantiality; solidity; firmness. 

  • The essential part of anything; the most vital part. 

verb
  • To give substance to; to make real or substantial. 

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