substitute
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sub·sti·tute
(sŭb′stĭ-to͞ot′, -tyo͞ot′)n.
1. One that takes the place of another: finding substitutes for coal; came in as a substitute at the end of the game.
2. Grammar A word or construction used in place of another word, phrase, or clause.
v. sub·sti·tut·ed, sub·sti·tut·ing, sub·sti·tutes
v.tr.
1. To put or use (a person or thing) in place of another: substituted plastic for steel to reduce the weight.
2. Usage Problem To replace: substituted the worn-out couch with a new one; original artworks that were substituted by fakes.
v.intr.
To take the place of another: "Only art can substitute for nature" (Leonard Bernstein).
[Middle English, from Old French substitut, from Latin substitūtus, past participle of substituere, to substitute : sub-, in place of; see sub- + statuere, to cause to stand; see stā- in Indo-European roots.]
sub′sti·tut′a·bil′it·y n.
sub′sti·tut′a·ble adj.
sub′sti·tu′tive (-to͞o′tĭv, -tyo͞o′-) adj.
Usage Note: When you describe an action in which you remove one item and put a different item in its place, it's important to clearly identify which item is taking the place of the other. The verbs usually used for this kind of action are replace and substitute, which have converse meanings: if you take away an old thing and put a new thing in its place, you are replacing the old thing with the new thing, or substituting the new thing for the old thing. In the passive voice, old is replaced with new, or new is substituted for old. Sometimes, however, people switch the placement of old and new when using the verb substitute, especially in the passive voice. For example, in a low-calorie recipe that uses applesauce (the new thing) instead of butter (the old thing), the two standard constructions are Butter is replaced with applesauce or Applesauce is substituted for butter. But people sometimes say Butter is substituted by [or with] applesauce. This use of substitute is widely criticized, and most of the Usage Panel dislikes it: in our 2013 survey, 80 percent disapproved of this sentence with the preposition by, and 67 percent disapproved of it with with. In sports, however, one often encounters the less standard use of substitute, where the old player is substituted for the new one rather than vice versa. The Usage Panel is more accepting of such usage in this context; in 2013, just over half the Panel (56 percent) disapproved of the sentence The goalie allowed three goals in the first 12 minutes and was substituted before the end of the period. Unless you are discussing sports, adhering to the traditional constructions will make your writing clearer: replace the old with the new; substitute the new for the old.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
substitute
(ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt)vb
1. (often foll by for) to serve or cause to serve in place of another person or thing
2. (Chemistry) chem to replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with (another atom or group)
3. (Logic) logic maths to replace (one expression) by (another) in the context of a third, as replacing x + y for x in 3x = k gives 3x + 3y = k
4. (Mathematics) logic maths to replace (one expression) by (another) in the context of a third, as replacing x + y for x in 3x = k gives 3x + 3y = k
n
5.
a. 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
b. (as modifier): a substitute goalkeeper. Often shortened to: sub
6. (Grammar) grammar another name for pro-form
7. (Education) Canadian another name for supply teacher
8. (Nautical Terms) nautical another word for repeater5
9. (Military) (formerly) a person paid to replace another due for military service
[C16: from Latin substituere, from sub- in place of + statuere to set up]
ˌsubstiˈtutable adj
ˌsubstiˌtutaˈbility n
Usage: Substitute is sometimes wrongly used where replace is meant: he replaced (not substituted) the worn tyre with a new one
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sub•sti•tute
(ˈsʌb stɪˌtut, -ˌtyut)n., v. -tut•ed, -tut•ing,
adj. n.
1. a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.
2. (formerly) a person who, for payment, served in an army or navy in the place of a conscript.
3. 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.
v.t. 4. to put (a person or thing) in the place of another.
5. to take the place of; replace.
6. to replace (one or more elements or groups in a chemical compound) by other elements or groups.
v.i. 7. to act as a substitute.
adj. 8. of or pertaining to a substitute or substitutes.
9. composed of substitutes.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin substitūtus, past participle of substituere to put in place of =sub- sub- + -stituere, comb. form of statuere to set up, erect (compare statue)]
sub′sti•tut`a•ble, adj.
sub`sti•tut`a•bil′i•ty, n.
sub`sti•tu′tion, n.
sub`sti•tu′tion•al, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
substitute
Past participle: substituted
Gerund: substituting
| Imperative |
|---|
| substitute |
| substitute |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  substitute - a person or thing that takes or can take the place of anotherequivalent - a person or thing equal to another in value or measure or force or effect or significance etc; "send two dollars or the equivalent in stamps" ersatz - an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation successor - a thing or person that immediately replaces something or someone succedaneum - (medicine) something that can be used as a substitute (especially any medicine that may be taken in place of another) |
| 2. | substitute - an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced bench - the reserve players on a team; "our team has a strong bench" bench warmer - (sports) a substitute who seldom plays pinch hitter - (baseball) a substitute for the regular batter | |
| 3. |  substitute - someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins"locum, locum tenens - someone (physician or clergyman) who substitutes temporarily for another member of the same profession stunt man, stunt woman, double - a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts; "his first job in Hollywood was as a double for Clark Gable" | |
| Verb | 1. | substitute - put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items; "the con artist replaced the original with a fake Rembrandt"; "substitute regular milk with fat-free milk"; "synonyms can be interchanged without a changing the context's meaning" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" shift - move and exchange for another; "shift the date for our class reunion" reduce - simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another truncate - replace a corner by a plane retool - provide (a workshop or factory) with new tools subrogate - substitute one creditor for another, as in the case where an insurance company sues the person who caused an accident for the insured |
| 2. | substitute - be a substitute; "The young teacher had to substitute for the sick colleague"; "The skim milk substitutes for cream--we are on a strict diet" exchange, interchange, change - give to, and receive from, one another; "Would you change places with me?"; "We have been exchanging letters for a year" | |
| 3. | substitute - act as a substitute; "She stood in for the soprano who suffered from a cold" cover - help out by taking someone's place and temporarily assuming his responsibilities; "She is covering for our secretary who is ill this week" supercede, supersede, supervene upon, supplant, replace - take the place or move into the position of; "Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left"; "the computer has supplanted the slide rule"; "Mary replaced Susan as the team's captain and the highest-ranked player in the school" | |
| Adj. | 1. | substitute - capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team; "a utility infielder" secondary - being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams" |
| 2. | substitute - serving or used in place of another; "an alternative plan" secondary - being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams" | |
| 3. | substitute - artificial and inferior; "ersatz coffee"; "substitute coffee" artificial, unreal - contrived by art rather than nature; "artificial flowers"; "artificial flavoring"; "an artificial diamond"; "artificial fibers"; "artificial sweeteners" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
substitute
verb
1. replace, exchange, swap, change, switch, commute, interchange They were substituting violence for dialogue.
2. (with for) stand in for, take the place of, cover for, take over from, relieve, act for, double for, fill in for, hold the fort for, be in place of, deputize for Her parents are trying to be supportive but they can't substitute for Jackie as a mother.
noun
1. replacement, reserve, equivalent, surrogate, deputy, relief, representative, sub, temporary, stand-by, makeshift, proxy, temp (informal), expedient, locum, depute (Scot.), stopgap, locum tenens She is seeking a substitute for the man who broke her heart.
adjective
1. replacement, reserve, temporary, surrogate, second, acting, alternative, additional, fall-back, proxy They had fallen for their substitute teacher.
Usage: Although substitute and replace have the same meaning, the structures they are used in are different. You replace A with B, while you substitute B for A. Accordingly, he replaced the worn tyre with a new one, and he substituted a new tyre for the worn one are both correct ways of saying the same thing.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
substitute
nounOne that takes the place of another:
1. To give up in return for something else:
Informal: swap.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
بَديلبَدِيليُبَدِّليَحِلُّ مَحَلَّ
náhradanahraditnáhradnídosadit
erstatningerstattereserveudskifte med
korvata jokusijainen
nadomjestaknadomjestiti
setja í staîinnstaîgengill, varamaîur
代用代用する
대신하다대체물
pakaitalaspavaduojantis
aizstājējsaizstātaizvietotaizvietotājs
nadomesteknadomestiti
ersättaersättning
แทนที่คนหรือสิ่งที่เข้าแทนที่
cái thay thếthay thế
substitute
[ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt]A. N
1. (= thing, artificial product) → sucedáneo m
it may replace saccharin as a sugar substitute → puede reemplazar a la sacarina como sucedáneo del azúcar
he uses honey as a substitute for sugar → usa miel como sustituto del azúcar
a correspondence course is a poor or no substitute for personal tuition → un curso por correspondencia no puede sustituir a la enseñanza cara a cara
there's no substitute for being informed → no hay nada como estar informado
it may replace saccharin as a sugar substitute → puede reemplazar a la sacarina como sucedáneo del azúcar
he uses honey as a substitute for sugar → usa miel como sustituto del azúcar
a correspondence course is a poor or no substitute for personal tuition → un curso por correspondencia no puede sustituir a la enseñanza cara a cara
there's no substitute for being informed → no hay nada como estar informado
2. (= person) → sustituto/a m/f, suplente mf (Sport) → suplente mf
to be a poor or no substitute for sb → no poder sustituir a algn
friends are no substitute for parents → los amigos no pueden sustituir a los padres
he seems to be looking for a mother substitute → parece que está buscando a alguien que reemplace a su madre
to come on as (a) substitute (Sport) → entrar como suplente
to be a poor or no substitute for sb → no poder sustituir a algn
friends are no substitute for parents → los amigos no pueden sustituir a los padres
he seems to be looking for a mother substitute → parece que está buscando a alguien que reemplace a su madre
to come on as (a) substitute (Sport) → entrar como suplente
B. VT (gen, Sport) → sustituir
the striker was substituted by Johnston → Johnston sustituyó al delantero
to substitute margarine for butter; substitute butter with margarine → sustituir la mantequilla por margarina
the striker was substituted by Johnston → Johnston sustituyó al delantero
to substitute margarine for butter; substitute butter with margarine → sustituir la mantequilla por margarina
C. VI to substitute for sth/sb (gen, Sport) → sustituir a algo/algn
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
substitute
[ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt] n
(= person) (replacing worker) → remplaçant(e) m/f; (replacing parent, child) → substitut m
a substitute for a parent → le substitut d'un parent
a substitute for a parent → le substitut d'un parent
vt
(= use instead) to substitute A for B → remplacer B par A
You can substitute sugar for honey → Vous pouvez remplacer le miel par du sucre.
Numbers had been substituted for letters → Des lettres avaient été remplacées par des nombres.
to substitute B with A → remplacer B par A
If your first choice hotel is unavailable, we may substitute it with one of equal quality → Si votre hôtel de premier choix est complet, nous pouvons le remplacer par un autre, de qualité égale.
You can substitute sugar for honey → Vous pouvez remplacer le miel par du sucre.
Numbers had been substituted for letters → Des lettres avaient été remplacées par des nombres.
to substitute B with A → remplacer B par A
If your first choice hotel is unavailable, we may substitute it with one of equal quality → Si votre hôtel de premier choix est complet, nous pouvons le remplacer par un autre, de qualité égale.
modif [parent, family, father] → de substitution; [activity, topic] → de rechange; [staff member, delegate] → de substitution, de remplacement; [material, ingredient, source] → de substitution, de remplacementsubstitute teacher n (US) → suppléant(e) m/f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
substitute
n → Ersatz m no pl; (= representative also) → Vertretung f; (Sport) → Ersatzspieler(in) m(f), → Auswechselspieler(in) m(f); to find a substitute for somebody → für jdn Ersatz finden; to use something as a substitute → etw als Ersatz benutzen; substitutes’ bench (Sport) → Auswechsel- or Ersatzbank f; coffee substitute → Kaffee-Ersatz m; various coffee substitutes → verschiedene Sorten Kaffee-Ersatz; there’s no substitute for … → es gibt keinen Ersatz für …, … kann man durch nichts ersetzen
vt to substitute A for B → B durch A ersetzen; (Sport also) → B gegen A austauschen or auswechseln; substitute 3 for X → setze für X 3 ein, substituiere 3 für X
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
substitute
[ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt]1. n (person) → sostituto/a; (teacher) → supplente m/f; (thing) → surrogato
coffee substitute → surrogato di caffè
there's no substitute for butter → non c'è niente di meglio del burro
coffee substitute → surrogato di caffè
there's no substitute for butter → non c'è niente di meglio del burro
2. vt to substitute sb/sth (for) → sostituire qn/qc (con or a)
3. vi to substitute for sb → sostituire qn
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
substitute
(ˈsabstitjuːt) verb to put in, or to take, the place of someone or something else. I substituted your name for mine on the list.
noun a person or thing used or acting instead of another. Guesswork is no substitute for investigation; She is not well enough to play in the tennis match, so we must find a substitute; (also adjective) I was substitute headmaster for a term.
ˌsubstiˈtution noun the act of substituting, or process of being substituted.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
substitute
→ بَدِيل, يَحِلُّ مَحَلَّ náhrada, nahradit erstatning, erstatte Ersatz, ersetzen υποκαθιστώ, υποκατάστατο sustituir, sustituto korvata joku, sijainen remplaçant, substituer à nadomjestak, nadomjestiti sostituire, sostituto 代用, 代用する 대신하다, 대체물 plaatsvervanger, vervangen erstatning, erstatte podstawić, substytut substituir, substituto заменитель, заменять ersätta, ersättning แทนที่, คนหรือสิ่งที่เข้าแทนที่ yedek, yerine geçmek cái thay thế, thay thế 替代, 替代品Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
sub·sti·tute
n. sustituto-a; reemplazo;
v. sustituir, reemplazar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
substitute
n sustituto, (person) sustituto -ta mf; salt — sustituto de (la) sal; vt sustituir; You can substitute tortillas for bread..Puede sustituir el pan por las tortillas; [Note: The order of the two objects tortillas and bread is reversed when translating to Spanish. It may be helpful to think of sustituir as a synonym for the English verb to replace. The sentence above would then read: You can replace bread with tortillas..Puede sustituir el pan por las tortillas.]English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.