substitute
substitute Lexical Profile
substitute Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person or thing acting or serving in place of another.
"Maple syrup can be used as a natural substitute for refined sugar in many baking recipes."
A sports player who replaces another team member during a match or game.
"The coach sent on a fresh substitute in the final ten minutes of the match."
• verb
To use or add a person or thing in place of another.
"You can substitute olive oil for butter if you prefer a dairy-free option."
To act or serve in the place of someone or something else.
"The assistant principal had to substitute for the absent math teacher on Tuesday."
• adjective
Acting, serving, or used in place of another person or thing.
"The substitute teacher reviewed the grammar lesson while the regular instructor was away."
Word Nuance & Usage
In traditional usage, 'substitute X for Y' means to put the new item (X) in place of the old item (Y), whereas 'replace Y with X' reverses the order of the objects.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French substitut or directly from Latin substitutus, the past participle of substituere ('to put in place of another'), formed from sub- ('under' or 'in place of') and statuere ('to set up' or 'establish').