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substitute

 - 7 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To substitute
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.
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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Financial Dictionary

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

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Financial Dictionary

substitute

See swap.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Medical Dictionary

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
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Computing Dictionary

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

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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