substitute
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substitute
- /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tʃuːt/
- /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tjuːt/
- /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tut/
- /ˈsɐbstɪtjʉːt/ Australia
- /ˈsɐbstɪt͡ʃʉːt/ Australia
- /ˈsɐbstətjʉːt/ New Zealand
- /ˈsɐbstət͡ʃʉːt/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -uːt
Where it comes from
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”).
verb substitutes · substituting · substituted
- To use in place of something else, with the same function. I had no shallots so I substituted onion.
- To use X in place of Y. I had to substitute new parts for the old ones.
-
To use Y in place of X; to replace X with Y.
I had to substitute old parts with the new ones.
Similar: exchange
- To remove (a player) from the field of play and bring on another in his place. He was playing poorly and was substituted after twenty minutes
- To serve as a replacement (for someone or something). Accumulation of wealth by this route may substitute for personal saving.
Similar: swap
noun substitutes
-
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.
Similar: substituend, surrogate · Opposite: substituend, substituendum
- A substitute teacher.
-
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.
Similar: reserve
- One who enlists for military service in the place of a conscript.
- Abbreviation of substitute good
Similar: fill-in, ghost, proxy, replacement, stand-in, substitute, surrogate
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: replacement, fill-in, stand in, step in, fill in, replace, utility, deputize, reserve, secondary, backup, imitation, ersatz, stand-in, relief, artificial
verb
Similar: swap
noun
Similar: fill-in, ghost, proxy, replacement, stand-in, substitute, surrogate
Translations
Every language
verb to use in place of something else
| Español | sustituir, substituir |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 대용하다 daeyonghada |
| 日本語 | 替える kaeru, 代える kaeru, 替わる kawaru, 代用する |
| 中文 | 代替 dàitì, 替代 tìdài, 替 tì |
| Português | substituir |
| Français | mettre en place de, remplacer, substituer |
| Deutsch | ersetzen |
| Italiano | sostituire |
| Ελληνικά | υποκαθιστώ ypokathistó, αντικαθιστώ antikathistó, αναπληρώνω anapliróno |
| Română | înlocui, substitui |
| Русский | заменя́ть zamenjátʹ, замени́ть zamenítʹ, замеща́ть zameščátʹ, замести́ть zamestítʹ |
| العربية | اِسْتَبْدَلَ istabdala |
| עברית | הֵמִיר hemír |
verb sports: to remove from the field and bring on another player
| 日本語 | 交代する kōtai suru |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | auswechseln |
| Ελληνικά | αλλάζω allázo |
noun replacement or stand-in
| Español | sustituto, substituto |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 代替 daitai |
| हिन्दी | प्रत्याम्नाय pratyāmnāy |
| Português | substituto |
| Français | remplaçant, substitut |
| Deutsch | Ersatz |
| Italiano | sostituto, rimpiazzo |
| Ελληνικά | αναπληρωτής anaplirotís, αντικαταστάτης antikatastátis, υποκατάστατο ypokatástato |
| Română | substitut, înlocuitor, locțiitor, substituent, substituitor |
| Русский | замени́тель zamenítelʹ, заме́на zaména, суррога́т surrogát |
noun player who is available to replace another
| 日本語 | 補欠, 控え hikae, 予備 yobi |
|---|---|
| Português | suplente |
| Deutsch | Ersatzspieler, Austauschspieler, Auswechselspieler |
| Ελληνικά | αναπληρωματικός anapliromatikós |
| Русский | заме́на zaména |
Talk about this word "substitute." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/substitute. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. substitute. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/substitute "substitute." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/substitute.Cite this
@misc{substitute_2026,
title = {substitute},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/substitute},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
