sub·sti·tute (s b st -t t , -tyt)n. 1. One that takes the place of another; a replacement: "Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality" (Barbara Grizzuti Harrison). 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: "substituting moral power for physical force" (Elizabeth Cady Stanton). 2. Chemistry To replace (one or more elements or radicals in a compound) by other elements or radicals. v.intr. To take the place of another: "Only art can substitute for nature" (Leonard Bernstein). [Middle English, from Old French substitut, from Latin substit  tus, past participle of substituere, to substitute : sub-, in place of; see sub- + statuere, to cause to stand; see st - in Indo-European roots.]sub sti·tuta·bilit·y n.sub sti·tuta·ble adj. |
substitute
Verb
[-tuting, -tuted]
1. (often foll. by for)to take the place of or put in place of another person or thing
2. Chem to replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with (another atom or group)
Noun
a person or thing that takes the place of another, such as a player who takes the place of a team-mate [Latin substituere]
substitution n
USAGE: Substitute is sometimes wrongly used where replace is meant: he replaced (not substituted) the worn tyre with a new one.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| 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" |
substitute
verb 2. (with for) stand in for, cover for, take over from, relieve, act for, double for, fill in for, hold the fort for, be in place of, deputize for
noun 3. replacement, reserve, equivalent, surrogate, deputy, relief, representative, sub, temporary, stand-by, makeshift, proxy, temp (informal) expedient, locum, depute Scot. stopgap, locum tenens
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.
Translations
substitute [ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt] n (person) → suplente m/f;
(thing) → sustituto
vt to substitute A for B → sustituir B por A, reemplazar A por B
substitute [ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt] n (= person) → remplaçant(e) (= thing); succédané m
vt to substitute sth/sb for → substituer qch/qn à, remplacer par qch/qn
substitute [ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt] n (= person) → sostituto/a (= thing); succedaneo, surrogato
vt to substitute sth/sb for → sostituire qc/qn a
v substitute [ˈsabstitjuːt]
to put in, or to take, the place of someone or something else I substituted your name for mine on the list. vervang يُبَدِّل замествам dosadit; nahradit udskifte med ersetzen αντικαθιστώ, υποκαθιστώ sustituir asendama جانشين كردن panna tilalle substituer לְהַחֲלִיף के स्थान पर रखना, प्रतिस्थापन करना, का स्थान लेना, के स्थान पर काम करना, के बदले में इस्तेमाल करना zamijeniti, nadomjestiti helyettesít menggantikan setja í staðinn sostituire 代用する 대용하다; 대체하다 pakeisti aizvietot; aizstāt ganti vervangen erstatte, sette i stedet zastępować, zamieniać substituir a substitui заменять nahradiť nadomestiti zameniti ersätta, vikariera för เข้าแทนที่ yerine koymak 替代 заміняти قاءم مقام بنانا đặt, dùng ai, cái gì thay thế cái khác 替代
n
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. vervanger بَديل заместник náhrada; náhradní erstatning; reserve; reserve- der Ersatz; Ersatz-... υποκατάστατο, αντικαταστάτης, αναπληρωτής sustituto asendaja, varu- جانشين korvike, varamies suppléant/-ante; succédané מַחֲלִיף स्थानापन्न, एवज, एवजी, अनुकल्प, आदेश, प्रतिनिधि, प्रतिस्थापी zamjena, nadomjestak helyettes pengganti staðgengill, varamaður sostituto, supplente 代りのもの 대리인, 대용품 pakaitalas; pavaduojantis aizvietotājs; aizstājējs orang gantian plaatsvervangend stedfortreder; erstatning; vara-, vikar substytut, zastępstwo substituto suplinitor; înlocuitor замена náhrada; náhradný nadomestilo; nadomesten zamena ersättare, ersättning, vikarie คนหรือสิ่งที่เข้าแทนที่ yedek, vekil 代替人(物) заступник; заміна قاءم مقام người, vật thay thế 代替人（物）
n substiˈtution
the act of substituting, or process of being substituted. vervanging تَبْديل، إبْدال замяна záměna, náhrada udskiftning; erstatning das Ersetzen αντικατάσταση, υποκατάσταση sustitución asendus جانشيني korvaaminen substitution הַחלָפָה आदेश प्रतिनिधान, आदेश, प्रतिस्थापन, स्थनापत्ति zamjena, zamjenjivanje helyettesítés penggantian skipti sostituzione 代用 대리, 대용, 대체 pakeitimas aizvietošana; aizstāšana penggantian vervanging erstatning, avløsning, innsetting zastępowanie substituição substituţie замена; замещение zámena, náhrada nadomeščanje zamena ersättande, ersättning การแทน; การแทนที่ yerine koyma, değiştirim 代替 заміна; заміщення قاءم مقام بنانا یا بنایا جانا sự thay thế, sự được thay thế 代替
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