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Synonyms

replacement

American  
[ri-pleys-muhnt] / rɪˈpleɪs mənt /

noun

  1. the act of replacing.

  2. a person or thing that replaces another.

    summer replacements for vacationing staff; a replacement for a broken dish.

  3. Military. a sailor, soldier, or airman assigned to fill a vacancy in a military unit.

  4. Also called metasomatism.  Geology. the process of practically simultaneous removal and deposition by which a new mineral grows in the body of an old one.

replacement British  
/ rɪˈpleɪsmənt /

noun

  1. the act or process of replacing

  2. a person or thing that replaces another

  3. geology the growth of a mineral within another of different chemical composition by gradual simultaneous deposition and removal

  4. Also called: petrification.  a process of fossilization by gradual substitution of mineral matter for the original organic matter

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of replacement

First recorded in 1780–90; replace + -ment

Explanation

A replacement is the thing that fills in for something that's missing, or the act of substituting for the missing thing. The replacement for your absent teacher is an annoying substitute. Sigh. When kids lose their baby teeth, replacements soon grow in their places. And when kids need to have their teeth cleaned but their dentist is on vacation, her replacement will be in charge of taking x-rays and checking for cavities. Replacement comes from the verb replace, which adds the "back" prefix re- to place, "to put somewhere."

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Vocabulary lists containing replacement

-ment

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Replacement cargoes cost three to five times more.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Replacement Amorim was backed despite United finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Replacement forwards Nick Timoney and Michael Milne both crossed to raise concerns amongst the home fans that Ireland could rumble up a head of steam and make a fist of things.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Replacement Harry Byrne nailed a match-winning penalty with the last kick of the game to defeat La Rochelle 25-24 in Dublin on Saturday.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026

But there was no Murmur-of- Replacement Ceremony for the new little Roberto.

From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.