What does submittal mean?
A submittal is something presented for consideration, especially an application, proposal, document, or set of technical materials. The term can describe either the act of presenting the material or the material itself, although the latter sense is particularly common in business and legal English. In practice, a “submittal” may include supporting drawings, data, forms, or explanatory documents rather than a single item. The word is formal and is often used with modifiers such as “initial,” “final,” “complete,” and “technical.” It differs from the more general “submission” mainly in its tendency to treat the submitted material as a distinct, countable package or formal document. For instance, a contractor may prepare a submittal for approval, while an applicant makes a submission to a licensing board. Although related forms such as “submit” and “submission” are widely understood, “submittal” is especially useful when referring to the formal material delivered for review.
nounThe act or process of submitting something for consideration, or the document, proposal, or other material submitted.
- The act or process of presenting a document, application, proposal, or other material for consideration.
- A document, proposal, application, or set of materials submitted for review.
"The planning committee requires a complete submittal before the application can be reviewed."
"Her submittal included the revised drawings and a detailed explanation of the proposed changes."
"The agency issued a written request for a preliminary submittal before awarding the contract."
Usually countable when referring to separate documents or packages submitted for review.
"The review team received three submittals before the deadline."
In business, legal, and technical contexts, a submittal is not merely what you send—it is also the formal record of having sent it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does submittal come from?
“Submittal” was formed in English from “submit” with the noun-forming suffix “-al.” The base verb “submit” comes from Latin “submittere,” formed from “sub-” and “mittere,” meaning “to send.” In Latin the word could mean “to send under,” “to yield,” or “to place under another's control,” and the English verb developed meanings involving presenting a case or proposal for judgment.
How submittal is actually used
The word is formal and especially common in business, legal, technical, and administrative contexts. It is less usual in everyday conversation than “submission” and is often countable when it refers to a document or package.
Easily confused with submittal
A submittal can refer either to the act of submitting or to the material submitted, whereas a submission more often emphasizes the act or the information being submitted.