substitute

[suhb-sti-toot, -tyoot]

noun

1. a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.

   Synonyms: equivalent, replacement, alternative

2. (formerly) a person who, for payment, served in an army or navy in the place of a conscript.

3. Grammar.,  a word that functions as a replacement for any member of a class of words or constructions, as do in He doesn't know but I do.

verb (used with object)

substituted, substituting 

1. to put (a person or thing) in the place of another.

2. to take the place of; replace.

3. Chemistry.,  to replace (one or more elements or groups in a compound) by other elements or groups.

verb (used without object)

substituted, substituting 

1. to act as a substitute.

adjective

1. of or relating to a substitute or substitutes.

2. composed of substitutes.

substitute

/ ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt /

verb

1. (often foll by for) to serve or cause to serve in place of another person or thing

2. chem to replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with (another atom or group)

3. logic maths to replace (one expression) by (another) in the context of a third, as replacing x + y for x in 3 x = k gives 3 x + 3 y = k

noun

1. 1. a person or thing that serves in place of another, such as a player in a game who takes the place of an injured colleague

   2. Often shortened to: sub. ( as modifier )

      a substitute goalkeeper

2. grammar another name for pro-form

3. another name for supply teacher

4. nautical another word for repeater

5. (formerly) a person paid to replace another due for military service

Usage

Substitute is sometimes wrongly used where replace is meant: he replaced (not substituted ) the worn tyre with a new one

Other Word Forms

• substitutability noun
• substitutable adjective
• substituter noun
• substitutingly adverb
• substitution noun
• substitutional adjective
• substitutionary adjective
• substitutionally adverb
• intersubstitutability noun
• intersubstitutable adjective
• intersubstitution noun
• nonsubstituted adjective
• nonsubstitution noun
• nonsubstitutional adjective
• nonsubstitutionally adverb
• nonsubstitutionary adjective
• presubstitute verb (used with object)
• presubstitution noun
• prosubstitution adjective
• unsubstituted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of substitute¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin substitūtus “replaced,” past participle of substituere “to put in place of,” from sub- sub- + -stituere, combining form of statuere “to set up, erect” ( substituent )

Word History and Origins

Origin of substitute¹

C16: from Latin substituere, from sub- in place of + statuere to set up

Example Sentences

He was then introduced as a substitute as Spurs beat Manchester United in the final for their first major trophy in 17 years, qualifying for the Champions League in the process.

From BBC

The AC Milan midfielder has 10 England caps, with the last of those coming when he came on as a substitute in a win against the United States in November 2018.

From BBC

Many public health experts support a harm reduction approach involving the provision of substitute drugs such as methadone, clean needles, and a drug consumption room which has been set up in Glasgow.

From BBC

He has not played for the club since making a substitute appearance in their semi-final victory over Fluminense in the Club World Cup in July.

From BBC

Alexander-Arnold only played 26 minutes as a substitute in that game, then did not figure at all in the subsequent friendly defeat to Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham.

From BBC

Related Words

• backup 
• replacement 
• stand-in 
• surrogate 

When To Use

What does substitute mean?

A substitute is someone or something that takes the place of another person or thing. As a verb, to substitute means to make such a switch.Substitute is used in a variety of contexts, but it is perhaps most commonly associated with substitute teachers and players in team sports who replace a player in the game. In both cases, the word is often shortened as sub.Example: Mr. Jones was sick today so we had a substitute.