substituent

Substituent is an adjective that can mean the same thing as substituted or substitutable (both of which are much more commonly used).

The word substitutable can mean capable of being used as a substitute, but it probably more often means capable of being replaced.

The related (and also uncommon) adjective substitutive is used to describe a thing capable of taking the place of or that has taken the place of another. (It can also be used to describe anything that involves such a substitution.)

Substituent is an adjective form of the word substitute, which can be used as both a verb (to replace something with another thing) or as a noun (something that replaces something else).

Substituent is more specifically and commonly used in the context of chemistry, in which it refers to an atom or group of atoms that replaces another atom or group of atoms in a molecule.

Example: The item you ordered is not substituent, so you will be issued a refund.

The first records of the word substituent come from the 1800s. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb substituere, meaning “to put in place of.”

Substituent is rarely used and can be confusing when it is. Even with context, it can be hard to tell whether it means “substituted” or “substitutable.” Those terms are more straightforward and much more commonly used.

In chemistry, a molecule is the smallest physical unit of an element or compound. In an element, a molecule consists of one or more of the same kind of atoms. In a compound, it consists of two or more different atoms. When some of these atoms or atom groups are replaced, the replacement atom or group is called a substituent. Such a chemical reaction is called a substitution reaction.

What are some other forms related to substituent?

• substitute (verb)

What are some synonyms for substituent?

• substituted
• substitutable

What are some words that share a root or word element with substituent? 

• substitution
• substitutive
• constituent

What are some words that often get used in discussing substituent?

• replace
• replacement
• chemistry
• atom
• molecule
• element
• compound
• reaction

Substituent is rarely used outside of chemistry.

As explained, all items are subject to availability and the store will process an evoucher that covers the difference in price if the substituent item costs more…1/2

— Sainsbury's (@sainsburys) June 16, 2018

Hammett has left the bond! Very exciting paper on through-space substituent effects on conformational equilibria and reaction rates from the Cockroft group @EdinburghChem. Well done @RebeccaBurns92, can't wait to see what's next from you! https://t.co/mCxeOlCJwk

— Marius Myreng Haugland (@mmhaugland) June 16, 2020

hello i’ve been spending a lot of time studying for this chem midterm🥺 wish me luck bc i just forgot that deuterium is NOT a substituent. ://// but staying positive 😊

— pau🐿 (@tedoymicielo) November 21, 2019

True or False? 

In chemistry, a substituent is the atom or atom group that gets replaced.