substitution
Britishnoun
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the act of substituting or state of being substituted
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something or someone substituted
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maths the replacement of a term of an equation by another that is known to have the same value in order to simplify the equation
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maths logic
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the uniform replacement of one expression by another
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an expression so derived from another
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Explanation
The noun substitution refers to the act of replacing one thing with another. Your football coach might make a substitution by sending you onto the field to take over for a player who is tired or injured. Substitution comes from the Middle French word of the same spelling, meaning "a putting in place of another." You might notice that substitution contains the root word substitute, and that's a good way to remember the meaning of the word. In school, a substitute is a temporary teacher who fills in when your regular teacher is out — in other words, a substitution has been made until your teacher returns.
Vocabulary lists containing substitution
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Genetics - Middle School
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A Soccer and a Football Special
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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.
The "Timed Substitution Rule" requires a player to leave the field within 10 seconds.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026
Substitution is one channel through which tariffs work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
Substitution for Rhubarb: Thawed, previously frozen cranberries work great as a substitute for rhubarb.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2024
"Substitution is and always has been a common feature of self employment - it is not specific to Deliveroo, nor our sector," it added.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2024
“Except, according to this Substitution of Counsel form, she’s my client,” the other man replied as he showed Stubbs a piece of paper.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
