substitute

[ suhb-sti-toot, -tyoot ]

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

, sub·sti·tut·ed, sub·sti·tut·ing.

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)

, sub·sti·tut·ed, sub·sti·tut·ing.

1. to act as a substitute.

adjective

1. of or relating to a substitute or substitutes.
2. composed of substitutes.

substitute

/ 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

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. ( as modifier ) Often shortened tosub

      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

Substitute is sometimes wrongly used where replace is meant: he replaced (not substituted ) the worn tyre with a new one

Derived Forms

• ˌsubstiˌtutaˈbility, noun
• ˌsubstiˈtutable, adjective

Other Words From

• substi·tuta·ble adjective
• substi·tuta·bili·ty noun
• substi·tuter noun
• substi·tuting·ly adverb
• substi·tution noun
• substi·tution·al sub·sti·tu·tion·ar·y [suhb-sti-, too, -sh, uh, -ner-ee, -, tyoo, -], adjective
• substi·tution·al·ly adverb
• inter·substi·tuta·bili·ty noun
• inter·substi·tuta·ble adjective
• inter·substi·tution noun
• non·substi·tuted adjective
• nonsub·sti·tution noun
• nonsub·sti·tution·al adjective
• nonsub·sti·tution·al·ly adverb
• nonsub·sti·tution·ary adjective
• pre·substi·tute verb (used with object) presubstituted presubstituting
• presub·sti·tution noun
• prosub·sti·tution adjective
• un·substi·tuted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of substitute¹

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” ( substituent )

Word History and Origins

Origin of substitute¹

C16: from Latin substituere, from sub- in place of + statuere to set up

Example Sentences

The substitute nurse says to him in a stage whisper, “You know, the doctor says no vodka.”

From The Daily Beast

But in the end there is no substitute for government when it comes to war fighting.

From The Daily Beast

Innovation is a poor substitute for insight, at least where boyhood is concerned.

From The Daily Beast

This clean source of caffeine is the next noble, and healthy, substitute for your daily cup of coffee.

From The Daily Beast

Annunziato and Akerman are in agreement that CrowdMed is best deployed as a supplement, not a substitute.

From The Daily Beast

The "torfuge" (Fig. 31) is said to be a very satisfactory substitute for the centrifuge, and is readily portable.

From Project Gutenberg

Loss, where she was concerned, involved a permanent and irremediable bereavement—no substitute was conceivable.

From Project Gutenberg

If the auctioneer could afterward do this he might change the name, substitute another, and so perpetrate a fraud.

From Project Gutenberg

If any one of the parts should be lost or broken, it would require some ability in that country to contrive a substitute.

From Project Gutenberg

When sedimentation only is desired, the torfuge (Fig. 31) is a cheap and convenient substitute.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• replace
• supplant
• swap