Word Study
substitute
CIDE DICTIONARY
substitute, 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 [1913 Webster]
"Hast thou not made me here thy substitute?" [1913 Webster]
"Ladies [in Shakespeare's age] . . . wore masks as the sole substitute known to our ancestors for the modern parasol." [1913 Webster]
To put in the place of another person or thing; to exchange. [1913 Webster]
"Some few verses are inserted or substituted in the room of others." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
substitute, n. & v.
--n.
1 a (also attrib.) a person or thing acting or serving in place of another. b an artificial alternative to a natural substance (butter substitute).
2 Sc. Law a deputy.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. (often foll. by for) act or cause to act as a substitute; put or serve in exchange (substituted for her mother; substituted it for the broken one).
2 tr. (usu. foll. by by, with) colloq. replace (a person or thing) with another.
3 tr. Chem. replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with another.
--n.
1 a (also attrib.) a person or thing acting or serving in place of another. b an artificial alternative to a natural substance (butter substitute).
2 Sc. Law a deputy.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. (often foll. by for) act or cause to act as a substitute; put or serve in exchange (substituted for her mother; substituted it for the broken one).
2 tr. (usu. foll. by by, with) colloq. replace (a person or thing) with another.
3 tr. Chem. replace (an atom or group in a molecule) with another.
Derivative
substitutable adj. substitutability n. substitution n. substitutional adj. substitutionary adj. substitutive adj.
Etymology
ME f. L substitutus past part. of substituere (as SUB-, statuere set up)
THESAURUS
substitute
additional, advocate, agent, alter ego, alternate, alternative, amicus curiae, analogy, another, attorney, backup, backup man, bit player, champion, change, change for, changeling, commute, comparison, compound for, copy, counterfeit, delegate, deputy, dernier ressort, displace, double, double for, dub in, dummy, equal, equivalent, ersatz, exchange, executive officer, expediency, expedient, exponent, extra, fake, false, father figure, father image, figurant, figurante, figurehead, fill-in, ghost, ghostwriter, give place to, imitation, lieutenant, locum, locum tenens, make do with, make way for, makeshift, metaphor, metonymy, mock, mother figure, mother surrogate, mute, next best thing, offer in exchange, other, paranymph, personnel, phony, pinch, pinch hitter, pinch-hit for, pleader, procurator, provisional, proxy, put up with, recourse, redeem, refuge, relay, relief, relieve, replace, replacement, representative, reserve, reserves, resort, ring in, ringer, second, second in command, second string, secondary, sham, shift with, sign, simulated, spare, spares, spear-carrier, spurious, stand in for, stand-in, standby, stopgap, sub, substituent, substitute for, substitution, succedaneum, supe, super, supernumerary, superseder, supplant, supplanter, supplemental, supplementary, supply, support, supporting actor, supporting cast, surrogate, swap, switch, symbol, synecdoche, take in exchange, temporary, tentative, third string, token, trade, understudy, utility, utility man, utility player, vicar, vicar general, vicarious, vice, vice-president, vice-regent, vicegerent, walk-on, walking gentlemanROGET THESAURUS
substitute
Substitute
N substitute, deputy, badli.Deputy
N deputy, substitute, vice, proxy, locum tenens, badli, delegate, representative, next friend, surrogate, secondary, regent, viceregent, vizier, minister, vicar, premier, chancellor, prefect, provost, warden, lieutenant, archon, consul, proconsul, viceroy, commissioner, Tsung-li Yamen, Wai Wu Pu, plenipotentiary, alter ego, team, eight, eleven, champion, acting, vice, vice regal, accredited to, in behalf of.Transfer
VB transfer, convey, alienate, alien, assign, grant, consign, make over, hand over, pass, hand, transmit, negotiate, hand down, exchange, change hands, change hands from one to another, devolve, succeed, come into possession, abalienate, disinherit, dispossess, substitute.Substitution
N substitution, commutation, supplanting, metaphor, metonymy, substitute, ersatz, makeshift, temporary expedient, replacement, succedaneum, shift, pis aller, stopgap, jury rigging, jury mast, locum tenens, warming pan, dummy, scapegoat, double, changeling, quid pro quo, alternative, representative, palimpsest, price, purchase money, consideration, equivalent, substituted, ersatz, phony, vicarious, subdititious, instead, in place of, in lieu of, in the stead of, in the room of, faute de mieux.VB substitute, put in the place of, change for, make way for, give place to, supply the place of, take the place of, supplant, supersede, replace, cut out, serve as a substitute, step into stand in the shoes of, jury rig, make a shift with, put up with, borrow from Peter to pay Paul, take money out of one pocket and put it in another, cannibalize, commute, redeem, compound for.
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