substitute

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. a player who replaces another player during a match.

n. a player who is designated to replace another during a match, often for tactical reasons or due to injury.

“The coach brought on a substitute in the second half to help the tired team.”

“The manager made a double substitution in the final ten minutes, hoping the fresh legs of the substitutes would break the defensive deadlock.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun American English

n. a teacher who works in a school when the regular teacher is ill or away.

n. a teacher who fills a temporary vacancy, typically on a day-to-day basis. Often used as a compound noun 'substitute teacher'.

“Our regular math teacher was sick, so a substitute taught the class today.”

“The substitute struggled to maintain order in the classroom as the students took advantage of the regular teacher's absence.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to use one person or thing instead of another.

v. to put or use a person or thing in place of another.

“You can substitute honey for sugar if you want a different flavour.”

“The recipe allows you to substitute Greek yoghurt for heavy cream to reduce the overall fat content without sacrificing the creamy consistency.”

C1 · Advanced Formal

v. to do someone else's job for a short time while they are away.

v. to serve as a replacement for someone else.

“I had to substitute for my colleague while she was at the hospital.”

“The junior partner was asked to substitute for the lead attorney during the preliminary hearing due to a sudden scheduling conflict.”