substitute
Temporary fill-in
A substitute takes the place of something or someone else.
A substitute teacher fills in for an absent one.
Sugar substitutes replace sugar.
To substitute is to make such a replacement: She substituted honey for sugar in the recipe.
In sports, a substitute enters the game for another player.
The word implies something secondary or inferior to the original, though not always: There's no substitute for experience.
Temporary human placeholder
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
- understudyBackup actor, ready nightly
- alternativeAnother available choice
- equivalentSame in value or function
proxy · successor · counterpart · replica · duplicate · copy · imitation · facsimile
Provisional in-between phase
- stopgapTemporary substitute measure
- provisionalConditional and possibly temporary
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
- tentativeUncertain and provisional
short-term · transitory · improvised · expedient · pro tem · ad hoc · acting · caretaker
Authorized substitute
- stand-inTemporary human placeholder
- surrogacyBearing child for others
- gestationalOf the pregnancy period
- carrierOne that transports
donor · IVF · parenthood · adoptive · biological · womb · fertility
Authorized substitute
- representativeOne who acts for another
- agentOne who acts independently
- delegateEntrust authority to another
- envoyAccredited diplomatic representative
emissary · ambassador · liaison · spokesman · spokesperson · appointee · commissioner · consul
What takes another's place
- alternativeAnother available choice
- swapExchange one for another
- veganAvoids all animal products
- dairy-freeContaining no milk products
gluten-free · sweetener · margarine · applesauce · aquafaba · tofu · plant-based · allergy-friendly
Shared seating surface
- reserveSupply kept back
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
- pinch-hitterSubstitute batter
- benchwarmerSeldom-used team member
stand-in
Temporary human placeholder
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
- understudyBackup actor, ready nightly
- alternativeAnother available choice
equivalent · proxy · successor · counterpart · replica · duplicate · copy · imitation · facsimile · analogue
interim
Provisional in-between phase
- stopgapTemporary substitute measure
- provisionalConditional and possibly temporary
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
tentative · short-term · transitory · improvised · expedient · pro tem · ad hoc · acting · caretaker · transitional
proxy
Authorized substitute
- stand-inTemporary human placeholder
- surrogacyBearing child for others
- gestationalOf the pregnancy period
carrier · donor · IVF · parenthood · adoptive · biological · womb · fertility
proxy
Authorized substitute
- representativeOne who acts for another
- agentOne who acts independently
- delegateEntrust authority to another
envoy · emissary · ambassador · liaison · spokesman · spokesperson · appointee · commissioner · consul · attorney
replacement
What takes another's place
- alternativeAnother available choice
- swapExchange one for another
- veganAvoids all animal products
dairy-free · gluten-free · sweetener · margarine · applesauce · aquafaba · tofu · plant-based · allergy-friendly · analog
bench
Shared seating surface
- reserveSupply kept back
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
- pinch-hitterSubstitute batter
loan
Borrowed money repaid later
- "Sub-" wordssubway, submarine, subtract, subject, suburb
- educatorseducator, teacher, teachers, professor, instructor
- representativesrepresentative, delegate, lawyer, deputy, rep
- school staffteacher, teachers, principal, professor, librarian
- sidelinedbenched, shelved, sidetracked, put on hold, on hold
- substitutesreplacement, stand-in, replace, supply teachers, proxy
substituteoriginal
First or inventive
authentic · genuine · real · the real thing · true
- substitute teacherTemporary classroom replacement
- sugar substitutesNon-caloric flavor enhancers
- meat substituteNon-animal protein alternative
- salt substituteSodium-free seasoning product
- milk substitutesLactose-free beverage alternatives
- word substitutionExchanging terms in text
substitution, substituted, substitutes, substituting, substitutable, substitutions, substitute teacher, substitute teachers