replacement
Americannoun
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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
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.
And stocks represent claims on the assets of publicly traded companies—plant, equipment and land—whose nominal replacement costs rise in inflationary terms.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
On the longevity conference circuit, attendees enjoy cold plunges amid talks of plasma replacement therapy and microdosing GLP-1s.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
But East Midlands Railway said engineering work at various points on the Midland Main Line means there will be a reduced timetable and replacement bus services while the festival is on.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Longtime coach Mike Tomlin stepped down after the playoff loss to the Houston Texans, and the Steelers hired McCarthy as his replacement.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
"And you've spent the last seven months scurrying around for a replacement?"
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
