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 Supersede implies that that which is replacing another is an improvement: The computer has superseded the typewriter.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
The development was slated to replace eight units on four parcels, according to city records.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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 wasn’t going to pretend that planting new trees would replace the ones that got cut down.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
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
It replaces the previous level two and three "classic vehicle framework" apprenticeship.
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
“Thank you,” he says as he replaces them, watching her as she sips her tea.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Once paid like superstars and considered to be essential pieces of the bullpen, ninth-inning specialists are being replaced.
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
In Washington, Draper will be replaced in the draw by lucky loser Mackenzie McDonald.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Its last president was assassinated in 2021 and has not been replaced.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The outdoor furniture is in the process of being replaced, so there’s nowhere to sit.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
The places that are effectively replacing families with affluent childless adults are so far avoiding this fate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
For employers, the challenge is not only finding workers, but replacing years of experience.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
She argues women aren't replacing men as the pursuers, they simply have greater freedom to act on what they want.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
My worries over Audrey replacing me and Jenna faded.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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.
