substitute definition | Dictionary.com

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

Related forms:

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

Synonyms:
1. alternative, replacement, equivalent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To substitute

sub·sti·tute (sŭb'stĭ-tōōt', -tyōōt')

One that takes the place of another; a replacement: "Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality" (Barbara Grizzuti Harrison).
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.

To put or use (a person or thing) in place of another: "substituting moral power for physical force" (Elizabeth Cady Stanton).
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.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : substitute

Spanish: sustituir,

German: ersetzen,

Japanese: 代用する

More Translations »

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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