substitution

noun

a person or thing acting or serving in place of another.

(formerly) a person who, for payment, served in an army or navy in the place of a conscript.

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)

to put (a person or thing) in the place of another.

to take the place of; replace.

Chemistry. to replace (one or more elements or groups in a compound) by other elements or groups.

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the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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verb (used without object)

to act as a substitute.

adjective

of or pertaining to a substitute or substitutes.

composed of substitutes.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin substitūtus (past participle of substituere to put in place of), equivalent to sub- sub- + -stitū-, combining form of statū-, past participle stem of statuere (see substituent) + -tus past participle 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

in·ter·sub·sti·tut·a·bil·i·ty, noun

in·ter·sub·sti·tut·a·ble, adjective

in·ter·sub·sti·tu·tion, noun

non·sub·sti·tut·ed, adjective

non·sub·sti·tu·tion, noun

non·sub·sti·tu·tion·al, adjective

non·sub·sti·tu·tion·al·ly, adverb

non·sub·sti·tu·tion·ar·y, adjective

pre·sub·sti·tute, verb (used with object), pre·sub·sti·tut·ed, pre·sub·sti·tut·ing.

pre·sub·sti·tu·tion, noun

pro·sub·sti·tu·tion, adjective

un·sub·sti·tut·ed, adjective

Synonyms
1. alternative, replacement, equivalent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To substitution

Collins

World English Dictionary

substitute (ˈsʌbstɪˌtjuːt)

—vb
1.	(often foll by for) to serve or cause to serve in place of another person or thing
2.	chem to replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with (another atom or group)
3.	logic, maths to replace (one expression) by (another) in the context of a third, as replacing x + y for x in 3x = k gives 3x + 3y = k

—n
4.	a. a person or thing that serves in place of another, such as a player in a game who takes the place of an injured colleague
	b. Often shortened to: sub (as modifier): a substitute goalkeeper
5.	grammar another name for pro-form
6.	(Canadian) another name for supply teacher
7.	nautical another word for repeater
8.	(formerly) a person paid to replace another due for military service

[C16: from Latin substituere, from sub- in place of + statuere to set up]

usage Substitute is sometimes wrongly used where replace is meant: he replaced (not substituted) the worn tyre with a new one

substi'tutable

—*adj*

substituta'bility

—n

substitution (ˌsʌbstɪˈtjuːʃən)

—n
1.	the act of substituting or state of being substituted
2.	something or someone substituted
3.	maths the replacement of a term of an equation by another that is known to have the same value in order to simplify the equation
4.	maths, logic
	a. the uniform replacement of one expression by another
	b. substitution instance an expression so derived from another

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

substitution

late 14c., from M.Fr. substitution, from L.L. substitutionem (nom. substitutio) "a putting in place of another," from L. substitutus, pp. of substituere "put in place of another, place under or next to," from sub "under" + statuere "set up."

substitute

1530s in transitive sense, 1888 as intransitive, from L. substitutus, pp. of substituere (see substitution). Related: Substituted; substituting. The noun is first attested c.1400; sports sense is from 1849.

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

substitution sub·sti·tu·tion (sŭb'stĭ-t&oomacr;'shən, -ty&oomacr;'-)
n.

The replacement of an atom or group of atoms in a compound by another atom or group of atoms.
An unconscious defense mechanism by which the unacceptable or unattainable is replaced by something more acceptable or attainable.

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