substitute

American  

[suhb-sti-toot, -tyoot] / ˈsʌb stɪˌtut, -ˌtjut /

noun

• substitutes
  plural

1. a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.

   Synonyms:

   equivalent, replacement, alternative

2. (formerly) a person who, for payment, served in an army or navy in the place of a conscript.

3. Grammar. a word that functions as a replacement for any member of a class of words or constructions, as do in He doesn't know but I do.

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verb (used with object)

• substitutes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• substituted,
  past participle,  past
• substituting
  present participle

1. to put (a person or thing) in the place of another.

2. to take the place of; replace.

3. Chemistry. to replace (one or more elements or groups in a compound) by other elements or groups.

verb (used without object)

• substitutes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• substituted,
  past participle,  past
• substituting
  present participle

1. to act as a substitute.

adjective

1. of or relating to a substitute or substitutes.

2. composed of substitutes.

substitute British  

/ ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt /

verb

1. (often foll by for) to serve or cause to serve in place of another person or thing

2. chem to replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with (another atom or group)

3. logic maths to replace (one expression) by (another) in the context of a third, as replacing x + y for x in 3 x = k gives 3 x + 3 y = k

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noun

1. 1. a person or thing that serves in place of another, such as a player in a game who takes the place of an injured colleague

   2. Often shortened to: sub. ( as modifier )

      a substitute goalkeeper

2. grammar another name for pro-form

3. another name for supply teacher

4. nautical another word for repeater

5. (formerly) a person paid to replace another due for military service

Usage

What does substitute mean? A substitute is someone or something that takes the place of another person or thing. As a verb, to substitute means to make such a switch. Substitute is used in a variety of contexts, but it is perhaps most commonly associated with substitute teachers and players in team sports who replace a player in the game. In both cases, the word is often shortened as sub. Example: Mr. Jones was sick today so we had a substitute.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intersubstitutability
  noun
• intersubstitution
  noun
• nonsubstitution
  noun
• presubstitution
  noun
• substitutability
  noun
• substituter
  noun
• substitution
  noun
• presubstitute
  verb (used with object)
• intersubstitutable
  adjective
• nonsubstituted
  adjective
• nonsubstitutional
  adjective
• nonsubstitutionary
  adjective
• prosubstitution
  adjective
• substitutable
  adjective
• substitutional
  adjective
• substitutionary
  adjective
• unsubstituted
  adjective
• nonsubstitutionally
  adverb
• substitutingly
  adverb
• substitutionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• substitutes
  plural

Participles

• substituting
  present
• substituted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• substitute
  simple
• substitutes
  simple
• have substituted
  perfect
• has substituted
  perfect
• am substituting
  progressive
• are substituting
  progressive
• is substituting
  progressive
• have been substituting
  perfect progressive
• has been substituting
  perfect progressive

Past

• substituted
  simple
• had substituted
  perfect
• was substituting
  progressive
• were substituting
  progressive
• had been substituting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will substitute
  simple
• will have substituted
  perfect
• will be substituting
  progressive
• will have been substituting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of substitute

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin substitūtus “replaced,” past participle of substituere “to put in place of,” from sub- sub- + -stituere, combining form of statuere “to set up, erect” ( see substituent)

Explanation

Something or someone that takes the place of another is said to be a substitute. You may be sent into a game as a substitute for an injured player, or you might substitute chocolate chips for blueberries in a pancake recipe. Substitute can be used as an adjective to describe something or someone that takes the place of another. Teenagers are notoriously hard on substitute teachers, sometimes giving them fake names or wrong information about classroom work. Substitute can also be used as a verb. So if you are asked to substitute for a teacher, you probably shouldn't believe everything the students tell you!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

substitute substitutes substituted substituting

His impact as a substitute in both has been notable, leading Halliday to say he'd be "shocked" if the Bournemouth player didn't start against Group B1's bottom side.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

In particular, future studies will need to test how well these fungi perform with actual lunar and Martian regolith rather than simulations or other substitute materials.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

“I’m thrilled they can now substitute research collaboration sessions for legal strategy meetings,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

The proposal targets a market currently dominated by Canada, the world’s largest producer of potash, a vital fertilizer component and an essential plant nutrient with no substitute in global food production.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

They all wished they could have a substitute every day, instead of Miss Gunderson.

From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White

Non-nutritive sweeteners are low-calorie or calorie-free sugar substitutes commonly used in foods and beverages.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

“Even in spite of these efforts, many lower-income households now have rising credit-card and consumer-debt balances. It’s hard to find substitutes for necessities like housing,” Smith said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

In saying that, striker Kieron Bowie and wingers Findlay Curtis and Ben Gannon-Doak had to make do with being substitutes over the weekend for Sassuolo, Rangers and Bournemouth respectively.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

In most cases, demographic reports have become substitutes for the harder work of investigating actual complaints.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

In battle, they would be poor substitutes for the lost ships of the Iron Fleet.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Ronaldo started that game but was substituted in the 67th minute.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

They also substituted bamboo biochar for cement at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Welbeck, 35, was tidy in possession but, with little service, managed only 17 touches before being substituted in the 71st minute.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

And if one definition fails to make the point, another can be substituted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

What he couldn’t do physically, he substituted with emotional and intellectual guidance and support, which is why he enjoyed his work as a precinct captain for the city’s Democratic Party.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

In fact, substituting toys for all hazards and unwanted behaviors are excellent protective measures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

“Nostalgia is basically substituting what you feel now for what actually happened then, right? I have no nostalgia for childhood summers because nothing happened.”

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan even had to speak out before the match to deny any fall out with Salah - after substituting him during the draw with Belgium.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

The savings they make from substituting from diesel can pay for the roughly $60 cost of a 420-watt solar panel in three months, down from six months before the war, Ember analysis shows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

“It’s your life, Ibtihaj, and you’re going to have to live it. I left the paperwork to apply for substituting on the dining room table.”

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• backup
• replacement
• stand-in
• surrogate