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substitute - 9 dictionary results

sub⋅sti⋅tute

[suhb-sti-toot, -tyoot] noun, verb, -tut⋅ed, -tut⋅ing, adjective
–noun
1. a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.
2. (formerly) a person who, for payment, served in an army or navy in the place of a conscript.
3. Grammar. a word that functions as a replacement for any member of a class of words or constructions, as do in He doesn't know but I do.
–verb (used with object)
4. to put (a person or thing) in the place of another.
5. to take the place of; replace.
6. Chemistry. to replace (one or more elements or groups in a compound) by other elements or groups.
–verb (used without object)
7. to act as a substitute.
–adjective
8. of or pertaining to a substitute or substitutes.
9. composed of substitutes.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L substitūtus (ptp. of substituere to put in place of), equiv. to sub- sub- + -stitū-, comb. form of statū-, ptp. s. of statuere (see substituent ) + -tus ptp. suffix


sub⋅sti⋅tut⋅a⋅ble, adjective
sub⋅sti⋅tut⋅a⋅bil⋅i⋅ty, noun
sub⋅sti⋅tut⋅er, noun
sub⋅sti⋅tut⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
sub⋅sti⋅tu⋅tion, noun
sub⋅sti⋅tu⋅tion⋅al, sub⋅sti⋅tu⋅tion⋅ar⋅y [suhb-sti-too-shuh-ner-ee, -tyoo-] , adjective
sub⋅sti⋅tu⋅tion⋅al⋅ly, adverb


1. alternative, replacement, equivalent.
sub·sti·tute   (sŭb'stĭ-tōōt', -tyōōt')   
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 substitūtus, past participle of substituere, to substitute : sub-, in place of; see sub- + statuere, to cause to stand; see stā- in Indo-European roots.]
sub'sti·tut'a·bil'it·y n., sub'sti·tut'a·ble adj.

Substitute

Sub"stit"ute\, n. [L. substitutus, p. p. of substituere to put under, put in the place of; sub under + statuere to put, place: cf. F. substitut. See Statute.] One who, or that which, is substituted or put in the place of another; one who acts for another; that which stands in lieu of something else; specifically (Mil.), a person who enlists for military service in the place of a conscript or drafted man.

Hast thou not made me here thy substitute? --Milton.

Ladies [in Shakespeare's age] . . . wore masks as the sole substitute known to our ancestors for the modern parasol. --De Quincey.

Substitute

Sub"stit"ute\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Substituted; p. pr. & vb. n. Substituting.] [See Substitute, n.] To put in the place of another person or thing; to exchange.

Some few verses are inserted or substituted in the room of others. --Congreve.
Language Translation for : substitute
Spanish: sustituir,
German: ersetzen,
Japanese: 代用する

Substitute

A product or service that partly satisfies the need of a consumer that another product or service fulfills.

Investopedia Commentary

For a product to be a substitute of another good, it must share a particular relationship with that good. When a good's price increases, the demand for its substitute will increase because consumers will go looking for a cheaper alternative. Conversely, when a good's price decreases, the demand for its substitute will decrease. For example, margarine is a good substitute for butter because a consumer can meet similar needs by using margarine. So when the price of butter rises, the demand for margarine will likely increase.

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Economic Indicators to Know

See also: Demand, Economics, Elasticity, Scarcity, Supply, Supply


substitute

See swap.


Main Entry: 1sub·sti·tute
Pronunciation: 's&b-st&-"t(y)üt
Function: noun
: a person or thing that takes the place orfunction of another substitutes> —substitute adjective

Main Entry: 2substitute
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -tut·ed; -tut·ing
: to put or use in the place of another:as a : to introduce (an atom or group) as a substituent b : to alter (as a compound) by introduction of a substituent

Substitute character
(SUB) ASCII character 26.
[Why?]
(1996-06-28)

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