Etymologically
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substitute

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:09. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsʌbstɪtʃuːt/, /ˈsʌbstɪtʃuːtjuːt/ (UK); /ˈsʌbstətuːt/, /ˈsʌbstətjuːt/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin substitutus, the past participle of substituere (“to put under, put in place of”),[2][3][4] from sub (“under”) and statuere, to set up (see statute),[5][6] partly through Middle French substitut;[2][3] the noun may also be partly a back-formation from substitution.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A person acting in place of another, a deputy: about 1400 in the OED, 1413 in Barnhart.[7][2] The verb, to appoint someone in place of another, is from the early 15th century.[3]

Semantic evolution

The general verb sense, to put in place of another, is by the 1580s,[3] and the intransitive act as a substitute by 1888.[3] In the American military, one who served for payment in place of a conscript is from 1777.[3][7] In team sports, a player who replaces another after the game has begun is from 1849, in cricket.[3] An artificial ingredient in place of a natural one is by 1879.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 1400 – a deputy.[7]
  • early 15th century – to appoint in another's place.[3]
  • 1580s – to put in place of.[3]
  • 1777 – a paid military substitute.[3]
  • 1849 – in sport.[3]
  • 1888 – to act as a substitute.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person or thing that takes the place of another.
  2. A player who replaces another during a game.

Verb

  1. To put or use in place of another.
  2. To act as a substitute.

Word family

  • substitutability
  • substitutable
  • substituter
  • substitutingly
  • substitution
  • substitutional
  • substitutionally
  • substitutive

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press