# substitute

Pronunciation: US say "SUB-sti-toot" /ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/; say "SUB-sti-tyoot" UK /ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/, AUS /ˈsɐbstɪtjʉːt/

## Noun

1. A person or thing that takes the place of another, filling the same role or producing much the same result.
   - Simple: Someone or something used in place of another to do the same job.
   - _Margarine is a common substitute for butter in baking._
   - _There is no real substitute for years of hands-on experience._
5. A teacher brought in to take charge of a class when the regular teacher is absent.
   - Simple: A teacher who fills in for the regular one when that person is away.
   - _The substitute struggled to follow the lesson plan left for her._
   - _Schools keep a list of substitutes they can call in at short notice._
6. A player kept available to replace a teammate during a match, who may or may not actually play.
   - Simple: A player who waits, ready to join the game if a teammate needs to come off.
   - _A substitute scored the equalizer minutes after coming on._
   - _The manager named three substitutes on the bench for the final._
9. Abbreviation of substitute good. — Abbreviation of substitute good.
   - Simple: Short form of substitute good. It means a product people buy instead of a similar one.
   - _If the price of gas rises, demand for its substitutes tends to climb._
   - _Economists model how readily one good acts as a substitute for another._
10. A person who enlisted for military service in place of a man who had been conscripted.
   - Simple: A man who joined the army in place of someone who had been called up to fight.
   - _His father found a substitute to take his place in the regiment._
   - _The price of substitutes rose steeply as casualties mounted._

## Verb

2. To use one thing in place of another that serves the same function.
   - Simple: To use something in place of another thing that works the same way.
   - _Cooks often substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream._
   - _He substituted a cheaper material for the expensive alloy._
3. To take over the role of someone or something as a replacement; to fill in.
   - Simple: To take the place of someone or something for a time.
   - _When the regular host fell ill, a colleague substituted for the evening._
   - _I'm happy to substitute whenever the team is short-handed._
4. To use one thing in place of another.
   - Simple: To put one thing into use in place of another.
   - _You can substitute frozen berries for fresh ones in this jam._
   - _The mechanic substituted a generic part for the original._
7. To take a player off the field and bring on another in their place.
   - Simple: To take a player off the field and send on another in their place.
   - _The manager substituted his captain with twenty minutes left to play._
   - _Coaches often substitute tired forwards to keep the attack fresh._
8. To replace one thing with another, using the second in place of the first.
   - Simple: To replace one thing by putting another in its place.
   - _Many bakers substitute the white flour with whole wheat for a denser loaf._
   - _The editor substituted the vague phrase with a precise one._

## Origin

From Middle English substituten, from Latin substitutus, the past participle of substituō, which combines sub- ("under, beneath") with statuō ("to put up, establish").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/substitute (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).