Dictionary definition · substitute
noun
- a person or thing that takes or can take the place of another
- an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced
- someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)"the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"
verb
- put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items"the con artist replaced the original with a fake Rembrandt"
- be a substitute"The young teacher had to substitute for the sick colleague"
- act as a substitute"She stood in for the soprano who suffered from a cold"
adjective
- capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team"a utility infielder"
- serving or used in place of another"an alternative plan"
- artificial and inferior"ersatz coffee"
Similar words
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).