Substitute
WordNet
adjective
(1) Artificial and inferior
"Ersatz coffee"
"Substitute coffee"
noun
(2) A person or thing that takes or can take the place of another
(3) Someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)
"The star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"
"We need extra employees for summer fill-ins"
(4) An athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced
verb
(5) Put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items
"The con artist replaced the original with a fake Rembrandt"
"Substitute regular milk with fat-free milk"
(6) Be a substitute
"The young teacher had to substitute for the sick colleague"
"The skim milk substitutes for cream--we are on a strict diet"
(7) Act as a substitute
"She stood in for the soprano who suffered from a cold"
WiktionaryText
Verb
- To use in place of something else, with the same function.
- I had no shallots so I substituted onion.
- In the phrase "substitute X for Y", to use X in place of Y.
- I had to substitute new parts for the old ones.
- In the phrase "substitute X with/by Y", to use Y in place of X.
- I had to substitute old parts with the new ones.
- To remove (a player) from the field of play and bring on another in his place.
- He was playing poorly and was substituted after twenty minutes
- To serve as a replacement (for someone or something)
- 1987, James Tobin, Essays in Economics, Vol. 2, p. 75
- Accumulation of wealth by this route may substitute for personal saving.
- 1987, James Tobin, Essays in Economics, Vol. 2, p. 75
Usage notes
The verb "to substitute" can be used transitively in two opposite ways. "To substitute X" may mean either "use X in place of something else" (as in definitions 1 and 2), or "use something else in place of X" (as in definitions 3 and 4). The latter use has been considered incorrect by some, but it is widespread and now generally accepted (see COED note).
Noun
- A replacement or stand-in for something that achieves a similar result or purpose.
- A player who is available to replace another if the need arises, and who may or may not actually do so.