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:
The Hollywood Historic Trust, which maintains the thousands of stars along Hollywood Boulevard, said a replacement star would be ready within days.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Liverpool then rejected a bid worth £80m from Manchester City for Cody Gakpo as they were unable to get a replacement.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
That began a career-threatening battle with back injuries that includes seven surgeries since 2014 — several microdiscectomies, a 2017 lumbar fusion and most recently a lumbar disc replacement performed in October 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
"The Hollywood Historic Trust and Hollywood Chamber of Commerce are proud to honor the legacy of Dolly Parton with a replacement of her star," the organization wrote on Instagram.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Because we never solved the problem of cell replacement, as you pointed out.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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
But the refrigeration rule did not impose any costs on regulated entities until future replacements of refrigeration equipment may be needed.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
Although the multivitamin findings are encouraging, researchers emphasize that supplements should not be viewed as replacements for a balanced diet or regular physical activity.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Los Angeles water system is so old — and money for replacements is exceedingly scarce — that officials are left playing a dangerous game of triage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The strain and pressure of operating Bush Hill might have driven less dedicated individuals to give up or ask for replacements.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
