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Showing results for substation. Search instead for subsidation.

substation

American  
[suhb-stey-shuhn] / ˈsʌbˌsteɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. a branch of a main post office.

  2. an auxiliary power station where electrical current is converted, as from AC to DC, voltage is stepped up or down, etc.


substation British  
/ ˈsʌbˌsteɪʃən /

noun

  1. a subsidiary station

  2. an installation at which electricity is received from one or more power stations for conversion from alternating to direct current, reducing the voltage, or switching before distribution by a low-tension network

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of substation

First recorded in 1885–90; sub- + station

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:

He said that the main power substation of Sevastopol had been hit during the attacks.

From BBC Jun. 24, 2026

EirGrid, the state-owned electric power transmission operator, spent 100 million euros, equivalent to $116 million, building a new substation to serve some 200,000 planned homes nearby.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 7, 2026

The state-owned Union Electrica de Cuba said on X that a problem at a substation in Holguin Wednesday night caused an electrical system disconnect that impacted the four provinces.

From Barron's Feb. 5, 2026

West Virginia is now on the frontline of a national shift that most people won’t notice until it shows up in their own bills, water tables or the substation down the road.

From Salon Dec. 28, 2025

They found themselves in a tiny substation, empty, airless, ruined.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

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