substitute meaning and definition

SUBSTITUTE noun

Definition of substitute (noun)

1. a person or thing that takes or can take the place of another
   • synonyms: replacement
2. an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced
   • synonyms: reserve, second-stringer
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"
   • synonyms: backup, backup man, fill-in, relief, reliever, stand-in

SUBSTITUTE verb

Definition of substitute (verb)

1. 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"; "synonyms can be interchanged without a changing the context's meaning"
   • synonyms: exchange, interchange, replace
2. 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"
   • synonyms: fill in, stand in, sub
3. act as a substitute
   • "She stood in for the soprano who suffered from a cold"
   • synonyms: deputise, deputize, step in

SUBSTITUTE adjective

Definition of substitute (adjective)

1. capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team
   • "a utility infielder"
   • synonyms: utility
2. serving or used in place of another
   • "an alternative plan"
   • synonyms: alternate, alternative
3. artificial and inferior
   • "ersatz coffee"; "substitute coffee"
   • synonyms: ersatz