substitute noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of substitute noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

substitute

noun
 
 
/ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/
 
/ˈsʌbstɪtuːt/
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  1.  
    a person or thing that you use or have instead of the one you normally use or have
    • a meat substitute
    • a substitute family
    • substitute for somebody/something Paul's father only saw him as a substitute for his dead brother.
    • The course teaches you the theory but there's no substitute for practical experience.
    • The local bus service was a poor substitute for their car.
    Extra Examples
    • His teacher acted as a father substitute.
    • The company produces substitutes for lead in petrol.
    • The television is a poor substitute for human companionship.
    • There's no substitute for hard work.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • good
    • acceptable
    • adequate
    • …
    verb + substitute
    • act as
    • serve as
    • use something as
    • …
    substitute + noun
    • teacher
    preposition
    • substitute for
    See full entry
  2.  
    (also informal sub)
    a player who replaces another player in a sports game
    • He was brought on as (a) substitute after half-time.
    Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsc1
    3. Word Originlate Middle English (denoting a deputy or delegate): from Latin substitutus ‘put in place of’, past participle of substituere, based on statuere ‘set up’.
See substitute in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee substitute in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: substitute

Nearby words

influence
verb
 
 
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