ersatz

American  

[er-zahts, -sahts, er-zahts, -sahts] / ˈɛr zɑts, -sɑts, ɛrˈzɑts, -ˈsɑts /

adjective

1. serving as a substitute; synthetic; artificial.

   an ersatz coffee made from grain.

---

noun

1. an artificial substance or article used to replace something natural or genuine; a substitute.

ersatz British  

/ ˈɜː-, ˈɛəzæts /

adjective

1. made in imitation of some natural or genuine product; artificial

---

noun

1. an ersatz substance or article

Etymology

Origin of ersatz

1870–75; < German Ersatz a substitute (derivative of ersetzen to replace)

Example Sentences

The short sequence, created by Seedance -- the AI generation model developed by TikTok's parent company, Bytedance -- shows an ersatz fight between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

The company’s big mistake is that it has barely evolved, thinking consumers will always stick with its ersatz ways.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Tiny chairs dangle on Christmas trees beside ersatz Heinz pickles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Until Friday, these videos seemed merely risible, the work of an ersatz journalist so naïve that he appears startlingly unaware of the long history of gullible Westerners falling for such cherry-picked displays of Soviet majesty.

From Slate • Feb. 16, 2024

Or, conversely, the android could be regarded as a highly developed, evolved version of the ersatz animal.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick