Substitute — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈsəb-stə-ˌtüt/ sub·sti·tute

Meaning & Definition of Substitute

Substitute (noun)

  1. a person or thing that takes the place or function of another

Substitute (verb)

  1. to put or use in the place of another
  2. to introduce (an atom or group) as a substituent; also, to alter (something, such as a compound) by introduction of a substituent
  3. to take the place of, replace

Substitute (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person or thing that takes the place of another

    "you'll be getting a substitute until your regular teacher is feeling better"

    "if you like, you can use nuts as a substitute for coconut in that recipe"

    similar: backup, cover, designated hitter, fill-in, locum tenens, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, reserve, stand-in, sub
    related: alternate, understudy, apology, makeshift, stopgap, agent, assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, factor, procurator, proxy, rep, representative, surrogate, assistant, reliever, second, successor, superseder

Substitute (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials

    "substitute wools that supposedly have the look and feel of cashmere"

    similar: artificial, bogus, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitation, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, sham, simulated, synthetic
    related: cultured, manufactured, process, unauthentic, adulterated, designer, doctored, engineered, fudged, juggled, manipulated, tampered (with), concocted, fabricated, counterfeit, deceptive, forged, fraudulent, misleading, phony, affected, brummagem, feigned, pinchbeck, pseudo, spurious
    opposite: genuine, natural, real
    near: authentic, bona fide, legitimate, true, premium, quality, valuable, pure, unadulterated

  2. taking the place of one that came before

    "had to find substitute transportation during the bus strike"

    similar: makeshift, new, substitutive
    related: alternate, alternative, pinch, different, other, separate, extra, spare, improvised, jury, another, second, utility, successive, equivalent
    opposite: original
    near: first, former, equal, identical, same, lasting, permanent

Substitute (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give up (something) and take something else in return

    "can I substitute coleslaw for potato salad if I order the chicken plate?"

    similar: change, commute, exchange, shift, swap, switch, trade
    related: interchange, displace, replace, supersede, cede, hand over, surrender, yield, reciprocate

  2. to serve as a replacement usually for a time only

    "substituting for the talk show host while she is on vacation"

    similar: cover, fill in, pinch-hit, stand in, step in, sub, take over
    related: understudy, relieve, spell, double (as)

  3. to take the place of

    "John Doe, Jane Doe, and Baby Doe substituted the real names of the parties involved to preserve their privacy"

    similar: cut out, displace, displant, relieve, replace, supersede, supplant
    related: preempt, usurp

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Substitute

The most common words with a similar meaning to Substitute:

backup, cover, designated hitter, fill-in, locum tenens, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, reserve, stand-in, sub, artificial, bogus, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitation, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, sham, simulated, synthetic, makeshift, new, substitutive, change, commute, exchange, shift, swap, switch, trade, fill in, pinch-hit

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Substitute

Words with the opposite meaning of Substitute:

genuine, natural, real, original

Related Words for Substitute

alternate, understudy, apology, stopgap, agent, assignee, attorney, commissary, delegate, deputy, envoy, factor, procurator, proxy, rep, representative, surrogate, assistant, reliever, second, successor, superseder, cultured, manufactured, process, unauthentic, adulterated, designer, doctored, engineered

Near Antonyms of Substitute

authentic, bona fide, legitimate, true, premium, quality, valuable, pure, unadulterated, first, former, equal, identical, same, lasting, permanent

Word Forms of Substitute

Inflections: substituted, substituting

Derived words: substitute (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Substitute

Middle English, from Anglo-French substitut, from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere to put in place of, from sub- + statuere to set up, place statute

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Substitute

Words & Phrases Containing Substitute

substitute teacher

Frequently Asked Questions about Substitute

What does "Substitute" mean?

"Substitute" means a person or thing that takes the place or function of another. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a person or thing that takes the place or function of another. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Substitute"?

Other words for "Substitute" include backup, cover, designated hitter, fill-in, locum tenens, pinch hitter, relief and replacement. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Substitute" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Substitute"?

There are 121 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Substitute". Common alternatives include backup, cover, designated hitter, fill-in, locum tenens, pinch hitter, relief, replacement, reserve and stand-in.

What is the opposite of "Substitute"?

Antonyms of "Substitute" include genuine, natural, real and original. Near antonyms include authentic, bona fide, legitimate and true.

How do you use "Substitute" in a sentence?

Examples of "Substitute" in a sentence: "you'll be getting a substitute until your regular teacher is feeling better"; "if you like, you can use nuts as a substitute for coconut in that recipe"; "substitute wools that supposedly have the look and feel of cashmere".

Is "Substitute" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Substitute" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Substitute" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Substitute" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Substitute"?

"Substitute" is pronounced /ˈsəb-stə-ˌtüt/ and divided into syllables as sub·sti·tute.