replacement
Americannoun
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replacements
plural
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the act of replacing.
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a person or thing that replaces another.
summer replacements for vacationing staff; a replacement for a broken dish.
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Military. a sailor, soldier, or airman assigned to fill a vacancy in a military unit.
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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.
noun
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the act or process of replacing
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a person or thing that replaces another
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geology the growth of a mineral within another of different chemical composition by gradual simultaneous deposition and removal
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Also called: petrification. a process of fossilization by gradual substitution of mineral matter for the original organic matter
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of replacement
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."
Vocabulary lists containing replacement
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.
See Examples For:
Jackson was brought in as Watkins' direct replacement and was a priority signing for Emery having worked with him at Villarreal.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Along with Hesson coming in as head coach, Australian Ashley Noffke has been added to the backroom staff as a replacement for fast-bowling coach Umar Gul.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
But the arithmetic was suddenly visible anyway: one broken appliance repaired, one replacement avoided, however many dollars still in somebody’s pocket.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
And there is no obvious replacement on the 40-man roster pushing for a call-up through an extended period of outstanding play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Like I said, I knew Laleh was a replacement for me.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Qatar gave the luxury Boeing 747 jet to the United States in 2025, after Trump complained about the ageing current presidential planes and delays to the delivery of their planned replacements.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
It’s important to know the best days for the Eagles are ahead as their young replacements receive early-season experience in anticipation of becoming much better later in the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
He made three substitutions at the break on Thursday, a trio that brought his total of half-time replacements to 11 in seven games.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Two former senior StubHub employees said the company’s internal budget for replacements was reduced in early 2025, as the company prepared to go public and wanted the financials to look better.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
And often the court waited until the demise of two or three potters before searching out their replacements.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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.
