substation

American  

[suhb-stay-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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of substation

First recorded in 1885–90; sub- + station

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

substation

Ukraine says its drones struck the city's main power substation overnight on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

It says it can bring more power to companies much sooner than others, in days or weeks, rather than waiting years for utilities to upgrade local substation and expand capacity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

Thanks to its vertically integrated structure, Forgent can deliver substation transformers in roughly 30 weeks, compared with industry averages of 80 weeks or more, J.P.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

On a recent day, a group of emergency energy engineers gathered at a transformer substation to carry out repairs after residents turned on all their equipment at once when power was restored, overloading the system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

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

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

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