Home › Words › S › substatesubstate/ˈsʌb.steɪ̯t/substate means A subdivision of a state.substate is pronounced /ˈsʌb.steɪ̯t/.EtymologyFrom sub- + state. First attested in 1823.nounA subdivision of a state.A lower or a subsidiary state.A subdivision of a state of existence.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).