Dictionary

substitute en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tʃuːt/ yod-coalescence
• /ˈsɐbstɪtjʉːt/ (Australia)
• /ˈsɐbstət͡ʃʉːt/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈsɐbstɪt͡ʃʉːt/ (Australia)
• (California) audio
• /ˈsɐbstətjʉːt/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tjuːt/ non-yod-coalescence
• /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tut/ yod-dropping

Etymology

From Middle English substituten, from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituō, from sub- (“under; beneath”) + statuō (“to put up; establish”). Displaced native Old English spala (“a substitute”) and spelian (“to substitute”).

Meanings

1. A replacement or stand-in for something that achieves a similar result or purpose.
   • Ladies [in William Shakespeare's age], again, universally wore masks as the sole substitute known to our ancestors for the modern parasol; a fact, perhaps, not generally known. 1840 February, Thomas De Quincey, “Theory of Greek Tragedy”, in Leaders in Literature with a Notice of Traditional Errors Affecting Them (De Quincey’s Works; IX), London: James Hogg & Sons, →OCLC, footnote *, page 55:
   • Here we go. AK-47. The very best there is. When you absolutely, positively got to kill every motherfucker in the room, accept no substitutes. 1997, Quentin Tarantino, Jackie Brown, spoken by Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson):
   • No other love before / Could do what you do / A little so much (Oh) / So much more from you / No one else will do / There's no substitute / Your love's the finest love I've ever known / Ooh-ooh-ooh 1986, The S.O.S. Band, “The Finest”, in Sands of Time:
   • Since you left me, if you see me with another girl / Seeming like I'm having fun / Although she may be cute, she's just a substitute / Because you're the permanent one 1965, “The Tracks of My Tears”, in Going to a Go-Go, performed by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles:
2. A substitute teacher.
3. A player who is available to replace another if the need arises, and who may or may not actually do so.
   • Dean Whitehead opened the scoring shortly after the break with a low finish and substitute Peter Crouch sealed the win with a tap-in. 2011 November 3, David Ornstein, “Macc Tel-Aviv 1 - 2 Stoke”, in BBC Sport:
4. (historical) One who enlists for military service in the place of a conscript.
5. (abbreviation, alt-of) Abbreviation of substitute good.
   alt of substitute good

Forms

Antonyms

substituend · substituendum

Deriveds

sugar substitute · salt substitute · substitute teacher · milk substitute · service as a software substitute · sheriff-substitute · turpentine substitute

Hyponyms

spare · ghost singer · stunt double · backup · reserve · margarine · deputy · stuntman · soy milk · double · body double · stuntwoman · sweetener · ghost band · non-union Mexican equivalent · tofu · understudy · ghost writer · makeshift · alternate · dummy · bench-warmer

Relateds

alternative · changeling · counterpart · decoy · standby

Synonyms

reserve · stand-in · substitute · fill-in · surrogate · surrogate · replacement · substituend · proxy · ghost

Translations (97)

ro substituitor (replacement or stand-in) · lv vietnieks (replacement or stand-in) · sh supstitut (replacement or stand-in) · fr remplaçant (replacement or stand-in) · uk заміна (replacement or stand-in) · hu tartalék játékos (player who is available to replace another) · ga bean ionaid (player who is available to replace another) · de Ersatzspieler (player who is available to replace another) · nrn tilvid (replacement or stand-in) · pl odpowiednik (replacement or stand-in) · sl nadomestek (replacement or stand-in) · ro substitut (replacement or stand-in) · mk замена (replacement or stand-in) · ga ionadaí (player who is available to replace another) · cs náhrada (replacement or stand-in) · fr substitut (replacement or stand-in) · ro înlocuitor (replacement or stand-in) · tl halili (replacement or stand-in) · de Auswechselspieler (player who is available to replace another) · da udskifter (player who is available to replace another) · chr ᎠᏓᏁᏟᏴᏍᏗᏍᎩ (replacement or stand-in) · pl substytut (replacement or stand-in) · nl vervanger (replacement or stand-in) · da substitut (replacement or stand-in) · ru заме́на (player who is available to replace another) · eo anstataŭulo (replacement or stand-in) · ca substitut (replacement or stand-in) · pl zastępnik (replacement or stand-in) · fi vaihtopelaaja (player who is available to replace another) · cs náhradník (replacement or stand-in) · id pengganti (replacement or stand-in) · ka ჩანაცვლა (replacement or stand-in) · es substituto (replacement or stand-in) · ru замени́тель (replacement or stand-in) · hu -pótlék (replacement or stand-in) · da erstatning (replacement or stand-in) · mi whākapi (replacement or stand-in) · bg смя́на (player who is available to replace another) · hu cserejátékos (player who is available to replace another) · bg заме́стник (replacement or stand-in) · ru заме́на (replacement or stand-in) · nl vervanging (replacement or stand-in) · lv vietniece (replacement or stand-in) · hu tartalék (player who is available to replace another) · el αναπληρωτής (replacement or stand-in) · sh замена (replacement or stand-in) · tr yedek oyuncu (player who is available to replace another) · hi प्रत्याम्नाय (replacement or stand-in) · pl zamiennik (replacement or stand-in) · nl plaatsvervanger (replacement or stand-in) · el υποκατάστατο (replacement or stand-in) · mi whakakapi (player who is available to replace another) · eo anstataŭaĵo (replacement or stand-in) · sh zamjena (replacement or stand-in) · fi varaosa (replacement or stand-in) · az əvəzçi (player who is available to replace another) · la vicārius (replacement or stand-in) · eu -orde (replacement or stand-in) · hu csere (player who is available to replace another) · tr yedek (replacement or stand-in) · pt substituto (replacement or stand-in) · bg замести́тел (replacement or stand-in) · sh надоместак (replacement or stand-in) · fi korvike (replacement or stand-in) · ja 代替 (replacement or stand-in) · sv avbytare (player who is available to replace another) · el αναπληρωματικός (player who is available to replace another) · te ప్రత్యామ్నాయం (replacement or stand-in) · hu pótszer (replacement or stand-in) · la vicāria (replacement or stand-in) · mi kaitiriwā (replacement or stand-in) · da surrogat (replacement or stand-in) · ota عوض (replacement or stand-in) · ro substituent (replacement or stand-in) · az əvəz (replacement or stand-in) · mi kakapinga (replacement or stand-in) · mi whakakapi (replacement or stand-in) · ru суррога́т (replacement or stand-in) · it sostituto (replacement or stand-in) · hu -pótló (replacement or stand-in) · ro locțiitor (replacement or stand-in) · de Austauschspieler (player who is available to replace another) · de Ersatz (replacement or stand-in) · ja 補欠 (player who is available to replace another) · hu -helyettesítő (replacement or stand-in) · el αντικαταστάτης (replacement or stand-in) · pt suplente (player who is available to replace another) · sv substitut (replacement or stand-in) · sh nadomjestak (replacement or stand-in) · fi sijainen (replacement or stand-in) · it rimpiazzo (replacement or stand-in) · ja 予備 (player who is available to replace another) · ga fear ionaid (player who is available to replace another) · ka ჩამნაცვლებელი (replacement or stand-in) · ja 控え (player who is available to replace another) · gl suplente (player who is available to replace another) · es sustituto (replacement or stand-in)

substitute en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tʃuːt/ yod-coalescence
• /ˈsɐbstɪtjʉːt/ (Australia)
• /ˈsɐbstət͡ʃʉːt/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈsɐbstɪt͡ʃʉːt/ (Australia)
• (California) audio
• /ˈsɐbstətjʉːt/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tjuːt/ non-yod-coalescence
• /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tut/ yod-dropping

Etymology

From Middle English substituten, from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituō, from sub- (“under; beneath”) + statuō (“to put up; establish”). Displaced native Old English spala (“a substitute”) and spelian (“to substitute”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To use in place of something else, with the same function.
   • I had no shallots so I substituted onion.
2. (in the phrase "substitute X for Y", transitive) To use X in place of Y.
   • I had to substitute new parts for the old ones.
3. (qualifier:formerly proscribed; often in the phrase "substitute X with/by Y"; sometimes "substitute X for Y"; formerly proscribed; often in the phrase "substitute X with/by Y"; sometimes "substitute X for Y", transitive) To use Y in place of X; to replace X with Y.
   • You know when you first have a baby, and you're like "I'm gonna die 'cause I've never slept"? … and you get [an] hour and a half in the middle of the night that you get to sleep. Your partner's like, "I'll take care of this." … I used that hour and a half, instead of sleeping, to watch The Pitt. … The most panic inducing show. … I was just like I was like, "Why do I feel like vomiting 24/7? Oh, I substituted sleep for watching The Pitt." 2026 January 21, Ally Beardlsey, my boss is sabotaging my clown career (w/ Ally Beardsley), Perfect Person (podcast) episode 185 (c. 14:18)
   • I had to substitute old parts with the new ones.
4. (transitive) To remove (a player) from the field of play and bring on another in his place.
   • Mario Balotelli replaced Tevez but his contribution was so negligible that he suffered the indignity of being substituted himself as time ran out, a development that encapsulated a wretched 90 minutes for City and boss Roberto Mancini. 2011 April 11, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
   • He was playing poorly and was substituted after twenty minutes
5. (intransitive) To serve as a replacement (for someone or something).
   • Accumulation of wealth by this route may substitute for personal saving. 1987, James Tobin, Essays in Economics, Vol. 2, page 75:

Forms

Deriveds

cryosubstituted · bisubstituted · pentasubstituted · monosubstituted · substitutee · tetrasubstituted · unsubstituted · persubstituted · substitutor · substitutable · resubstitute · trisubstituted · substitutingly · homosubstituted · polysubstituted · intersubstitute · nonsubstituted · disubstituted · substitutability · bustitute · substitutive · substituter · heterosubstituted · chlorosubstituted · multisubstituted

Synonyms

exchange (to replace X with Y) · swap

Translations (86)

hu lecserél (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · ca canviar (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · fi vaihtaa (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · sv substituera (to use in place of something else) · sh nadomjestiti (to use in place of something else) · de auswechseln (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · az əvəz etmək (to use X in place of Y) · mi whakakapi (to use in place of something else) · yue 代替 (to use in place of something else) · el αντικαθιστώ (to use in place of something else) · da udskifte (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · az dəyişmək (to use X in place of Y) · ota تعویض ایتمك (to use in place of something else) · bg сме́ням (to use X in place of Y) · cmn 代替 (to use in place of something else) · ar اِسْتَبْدَلَ (to use in place of something else) · fr substituer (to use in place of something else) · grc ἀνθυπαλλάσσω (to use in place of something else) · gl substituír (to use in place of something else) · cs nahradit (to use in place of something else) · fi korvata (to replace X with Y — see also replace) · hu helyettesít (to serve as a replacement) · fi toimia sijaisena (to serve as a replacement) · fi panna vaihtoon (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · he הֵמִיר (to use in place of something else) · hu használ helyette (to use in place of something else) · pl zamienić (to use in place of something else) · ja 替わる (to use in place of something else) · ru замени́ть (to use in place of something else) · nl substitueren (to use in place of something else) · mi rīwhi (to use in place of something else) · fr mettre en place de (to use in place of something else) · sv ersätta (to use in place of something else) · fr remplacer (to use in place of something else) · ru замести́ть (to use in place of something else) · fi korvata (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · es sustituir (to use in place of something else) · ro substitui (to use in place of something else) · nl vervangen (to use in place of something else) · ca substituir (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · io substitucar (to use in place of something else) · ja 取り替える (to replace X with Y — see also replace) · fi sijaistaa (to serve as a replacement) · da erstatte (to use in place of something else) · bg заме́ствам (to use in place of something else) · uk заміня́ти (to use in place of something else) · ja 替える (to use in place of something else) · az əvəz etmək (to use in place of something else) · pl podstawiać (to use in place of something else) · fi korvata (to serve as a replacement) · ja 代用する (to use in place of something else) · ko 대용하다 (to use in place of something else) · ja 代える (to use in place of something else) · bg сме́ням (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · el αναπληρώνω (to use in place of something else) · th แทน (to replace X with Y — see also replace) · pt substituir (to use in place of something else) · de ersetzen (to use in place of something else) · hu pótol (to use X in place of Y) · el αλλάζω (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · sh заменити (to use in place of something else) · az dəyişdirmək (to use X in place of Y) · ro înlocui (to use in place of something else) · eo anstataŭi (to serve as a replacement) · sh supstituirati (to use in place of something else) · el υποκαθιστώ (to use in place of something else) · cy amnewid (to use in place of something else) · pl zastąpić (to use in place of something else) · ja 交換する (to replace X with Y — see also replace) · cmn 替 (to use in place of something else) · hu lecserél (to replace X with Y — see also replace) · la substituō (to use in place of something else) · it sostituire (to use in place of something else) · fi korvata (to use X in place of Y) · es substituir (to use in place of something else) · sh zamijeniti (to use in place of something else) · ja 交代する (sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player) · cmn 替代 (to use in place of something else) · ca substituir (to use in place of something else) · sh надоместити (to use in place of something else) · ru замеща́ть (to use in place of something else) · fi korvata (to use in place of something else) · eo anstataŭigi (to use in place of something else) · hu helyettesít (to use in place of something else) · da substituere (to use in place of something else) · ru заменя́ть (to use in place of something else)