replace
Americanverb (used with object)
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to assume the former role, position, or function of; substitute for (a person or thing).
Electricity has replaced gas in lighting.
- Synonyms:
- succeed
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to provide a substitute or equivalent in the place of.
to replace a broken dish.
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to restore; return; make good.
to replace a sum of money borrowed.
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to restore to a former or the proper place.
to replace the vase on the table.
verb
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to take the place of; supersede
the manual worker is being replaced by the machine
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to substitute a person or thing for (another which has ceased to fulfil its function); put in place of
to replace an old pair of shoes
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to put back or return; restore to its rightful place
Synonym Usage
Replace, supersede, supplant refer to putting one thing or person in place of another. To replace is to take the place of, to succeed: Ms. Jones will replace Mr. Smith as president. Supersede implies that that which is replacing another is an improvement: The computer has superseded the typewriter. Supplant implies that that which takes the other's place has ousted the former holder and usurped the position or function, especially by art or fraud: to supplant a former favorite.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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replaceabilitynoun
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replacernoun
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nonreplaceableadjective
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quasi-replacedadjective
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replaceableadjective
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unreplaceableadjective
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unreplacedadjective
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well-replacedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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replacesimple
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replacessimple
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have replacedperfect
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has replacedperfect
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am replacingprogressive
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are replacingprogressive
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is replacingprogressive
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have been replacingperfect progressive
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has been replacingperfect progressive
Past
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replacedsimple
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had replacedperfect
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was replacingprogressive
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were replacingprogressive
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had been replacingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of replace
Explanation
Is your pen not working? Maybe you need to replace it. To replace is to substitute one thing for another — in this case, to get a new pen and throw the old one away. When you see the word place in it, replace makes sense: replacing is putting something new in place of something old. We need to replace most things at some point: light bulbs burn out and batteries run out, while computers, cars, and socks wear out. When something stops working or is just worn out and old, it might be time to replace it. It's natural to worry that your boss might want to replace you — i.e., fire you and hire someone else. Some things in life cannot be replaced, like a winning lottery ticket or a friend.
Vocabulary lists containing replace
"How Do We Use Water?"
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re-
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President Obama's second inaugural address
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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.
See Examples For:
While Saudi Arabia’s route though Egypt throws a lifeline to Asian buyers, it cannot fully replace Red Sea exports.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
A Canadian government lawyer stated in a court letter that Ottawa plans to eliminate the requirement and provide funding to replace it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Under plans to encourage young people into work, families will be offered a bursary to replace Universal Credit payments lost by starting jobs.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
However, p58IPK could not replace BiP's central role.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
I type up what I wrote in my notebook and then edit and brainstorm and cut and replace.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
The 43-year-old Drapaty replaces Oleksandr Syrsky, 60, an accomplished military strategist but who was long criticised for Soviet-style practices and not caring about human losses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He replaces Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by the Israeli military in Gaza in October 2024.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Some arias are cut; Donna Elvira’s Act 2 “Mi tradì” replaces her Act 1 “Ah, fuggi il traditor,” and there is no moralizing epilogue after the Don goes to hell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“It rips out Prop. 103’s good‑driver protections and replaces your actual driving record with a black‑box score built on sweeping data collection,’’ Balber said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
He shakes the watch gently and replaces it in his pocket.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Douthat has been with the Times opinion page since 2009, when he replaced conservative columnist Bill Kristol.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
One mutual-fund manager’s reaction: “If people start believing this random-walk garbage and switch to index funds, a lot of $80,000-a-year portfolio managers and analysts will be replaced by $16,000-a-year computer clerks. It just can’t happen.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
She will be replaced by David Deno, a four-decade retail- and restaurant-industry veteran.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
A lot has happened since head coach Danny Rohl, who has been replaced by Derek McInnes, watched his team limp to the finish after their season unravelled in a post-split collapse.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The mysterious shapes faded behind the airship and were replaced by more dark depths.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Major League Baseball teams are increasingly replacing traditional ninth-inning closers with matchup-based pitching assignments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
It requires updating, and in some cases, completely replacing, existing machinery, which can be costly and time consuming.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
In February, the Financial Times reported that Nvidia was pulling out from a $100 billion agreement originally announced in September, and replacing it with a $30 billion equity investment.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Our results suggest that replacing sugar-sweetened sodas with unsweetened sparkling water may help lower the risk of enamel erosion," said Zulfiqar.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Liam finished replacing the tire with the spare faster than I thought possible.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
