substitution
gb/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən/ us/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən/
B2
English
~ 7800
helyettesítés, csere, behelyettesítés, szubsztitúciós reakció
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
the substitution of [A] for [B]
The substitution of plant-based milk for dairy has become very common.
A tejtermékek növényi tejjel való helyettesítése nagyon elterjedtté vált.
We recommend the substitution of online forms for paper applications to save time.
Időmegtakarítás céljából a papíralapú kérelmek online űrlapokkal való helyettesítését javasoljuk.
There will be no substitution of speakers; the original panel will stay the same.
As a quick substitution, you can use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
The policy allows the substitution of work experience for some academic credits.
Learner examples
The substitution of sugar with honey makes the cake healthier.
A cukor mézzel való helyettesítése egészségesebbé teszi a süteményt.
There was a last-minute substitution of the main actor in the play.
A darabban az utolsó pillanatban kellett helyettesíteni a főszereplőt.
You can make a substitution if you do not have this ingredient.
The teacher allowed the substitution of an online test for the paper test.
The recipe suggests the substitution of oil for butter.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse the prepositions in this pattern. The usual pattern is "the substitution of A for B", meaning A replaces B. For example, "the substitution of honey for sugar" means honey is used instead of sugar. Many learners mistakenly say *"substitution of sugar for honey"* when they actually mean the opposite.
Meaning
act of replacing something
Collocations
the substitution of A for B
|make a substitution
|serve as a substitution for
|use [something] as a substitution
|by substitution
Synonyms
replacement (The most general and common word for putting one thing or person in place of another.)
Antonyms
retention (Focuses on keeping the original person or thing instead of changing it.)
Themes
daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
The act of using one person or thing instead of another person or thing.
The act or process of putting one person or thing in the place of another.
NOUN
B2
2
csere
A2
Usage pattern:
make a substitution
The coach made a late substitution to add fresh legs in midfield.
Az edző a hajrában cserét hajtott végre, hogy friss erők kerüljenek a középpályára.
Due to injury, the team had to make an early substitution.
Sérülés miatt a csapatnak már korán cserélnie kellett.
His substitution at half-time changed the course of the match.
The rules allow three substitutions per team in this competition.
A tactical substitution brought on an extra defender to protect the lead.
Learner examples
The coach made a substitution after the goal.
Az edző a gól után cserélt.
They used all three substitutions in the second half.
A második félidőben mindhárom cseréjüket felhasználták.
Her substitution in the game helped the team win.
Because he was tired, the coach made a substitution.
The referee did not see the signal for the substitution.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"change a substitution"* or *"do a substitution". The natural verb is usually "make": "make a substitution". Also, "substitution" is the action; the new player is called a "substitute", not a "substitution".
Meaning
player change in sports
Collocations
make a substitution
|tactical substitution
|late substitution
|first-half substitution
|defensive substitution
Synonyms
player change (Clear everyday description; less technical than "substitution" and not usually used as an official term.)
Antonyms
unchanged lineup (Describes the opposite situation, where no players are replaced during the game.)
Themes
sports
Definition
When a team takes one player out of the game and sends a different player in.
In a sport or game, the act of taking one player off the field and putting another player in their place.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
solve [something] by substitution
We can solve this system of equations using substitution.
Ezt az egyenletrendszert behelyettesítéssel is megoldhatjuk.
Substitution is often the easiest method when one equation is already solved for a variable.
A behelyettesítés gyakran a legegyszerűbb módszer, ha az egyik egyenletben már ki van fejezve egy változó.
The teacher demonstrated u-substitution to evaluate the integral.
After substitution of x = 2, the expression becomes easy to calculate.
Careful substitution into the formula prevents simple arithmetic errors.
Learner examples
We will solve these two equations by substitution.
Ezt a két egyenletet behelyettesítéssel fogjuk megoldani.
Substitution is a common method in algebra.
A behelyettesítés gyakori módszer az algebrában.
After substitution, the new equation is simpler.
Please try substitution to find the value of x.
The teacher showed how substitution works step by step.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the adjective "substitutional" or say *"substitutive method" instead of the standard phrase "substitution method". They may also overuse "put" instead of the more natural verb "substitute" or the noun phrase "make a substitution" in math explanations.
Meaning
mathematical variable replacement
Collocations
solve by substitution
|substitution method
|u-substitution
|substitution into the formula
|algebraic substitution
Synonyms
variable replacement (A descriptive phrase that explains the idea, used in teaching but less often as a set term.)
Antonyms
elimination method (A common alternative method for solving systems of equations that does not rely on substitution.)
Themes
mathematics
|education
|science
Definition
In math, putting one number or expression in place of a letter oranother expression to help solve a problem.
In mathematics, the process of replacing a variable or term with another value or expression, often as a method for simplifying or solving a problem.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
a substitution of [group] for [group]
Chlorination of methane is a typical example of a substitution reaction.
A metán klórozása tipikus példa a szubsztitúciós reakcióra.
Nucleophilic substitution involves a nucleophile replacing a leaving group.
A nukleofil szubsztitúció során egy nukleofil részecske lép a távozó csoport helyébe.
In this experiment, you will observe an electrophilic aromatic substitution.
The substitution of bromine for chlorine significantly changes the compound’s properties.
Substitution reactions are common in organic synthesis.
Learner examples
In this lab we study a substitution reaction.
Ezen a laborórán egy szubsztitúciós reakciót vizsgálunk.
A substitution reaction replaces one group with another group.
A szubsztitúciós reakcióban az egyik csoport helyére egy másik csoport kerül.
Electrophilic substitution happens in some organic compounds.
Nucleophilic substitution is an important reaction in chemistry.
The teacher drew a simple example of a substitution on the board.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "substitution reaction" with "substitute" as a verb in everyday language and may not realize that, in chemistry, it has a very specific technical meaning. They also sometimes mix up substitution and addition reactions because both change a molecule.
Meaning
chemical substitution reaction
Collocations
substitution reaction
|electrophilic substitution
|nucleophilic substitution
|substitution of chlorine for hydrogen
|radical substitution
Synonyms
replacement reaction (A close technical term; sometimes used more broadly, but often overlaps strongly with substitution reactions.)
Antonyms
addition reaction (A different type of reaction where atoms or groups are added to a molecule instead of replacing parts of it.)
Themes
science
|chemistry
Definition
In chemistry, a type of reaction where one part of a molecule is taken away and another part is put in its place.
In chemistry, a reaction in which one atom or group of atoms in a molecule is replaced by another atom or group.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
substitution of [form] for [form]
Pronoun substitution helps avoid repetition in a text.
A névmási helyettesítés segít elkerülni az ismétlést a szövegben.
In cohesion analysis, substitution is one of the key grammatical devices.
A kohézióelemzésben a helyettesítés az egyik kulcsfontosságú nyelvtani eszköz.
We can use a substitution test to check whether this phrase functions as a noun phrase.
Auxiliary substitution occurs when an auxiliary verb stands in for a whole verb phrase.
The student confused ellipsis with substitution in her analysis.
Learner examples
Substitution is an important idea in grammar studies.
A helyettesítés fontos fogalom a nyelvtani tanulmányokban.
Pronoun substitution can make writing less repetitive.
A névmási helyettesítés kevésbé ismétlődővé teheti a szöveget.
Teachers sometimes use a substitution test to find the word class.
In this sentence, there is substitution of a pronoun for a noun phrase.
Substitution and repetition are two different ways to connect ideas.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "substitution" in linguistics is a technical term and may think it has only the everyday meaning of simple replacement, missing its specific role in cohesion and grammatical tests.
Meaning
linguistic replacement of form
Collocations
pronoun substitution
|auxiliary substitution
|substitution test
|nominal substitution
|substitution in cohesion
Synonyms
replacement (A more general word that can describe the same idea, but without the technical focus on grammatical structure.)
Antonyms
repetition (In discourse and grammar, the opposite strategy is to repeat the same form instead of substituting another one.)
Themes
language
|linguistics
|education
|communication
Definition
In language study, using one word or phrase instead of another word or phrase that it refers to.
In linguistics and grammar, the use of one word, phrase, or structure in place of another word, phrase, or structure that has already been mentioned or is understood from context.
Grammar
Dictionary form
substitution
IPA
GB/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən/
US/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən/
Syllables & stress
sub - sti - tu - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (tu)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: substitution
- Plural: substitution, substitutions
Word family
Forms
substitutions
noun
Core family
substitute
verb B1
Related words
replace
verb A2
replacement
noun A2
Advanced or less common
substitutable
adjective
Expressions
no substitutions
1/nˈoʊ sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃənz/
fixed phrase
changes to the offer not allowed
Used especially in restaurants and shops to say that you cannot change items, swap ingredients, or ask for different options than those listed.
Examples
- The lunch special comes as listed—sorry, no substitutions.
- The menu clearly states "no substitutions" for discounted items.
- Because of the fixed price, the chef allows no substitutions on this menu.
substitution cipher
1/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən sˈaɪfɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
code using symbol replacement
A simple code where each letter or group of letters in a message is always changed into another letter or group of letters.
Examples
- The Caesar cipher is a basic substitution cipher.
- In a substitution cipher, frequency analysis can help break the code.
- The puzzle used a simple substitution cipher to hide the message.
substitution cipher
1/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən sˈaɪfɚ/
fixed phrase
replacement-based cipher
A code that hides a message by replacing each letter or symbol with another one.
Examples
- The newspaper puzzle was a substitution cipher with a different symbol for every letter.
- Frequency analysis can help solve a simple substitution cipher.
- She created a substitution cipher for the escape-room clue.
Learner examples
- This substitution cipher uses numbers for letters.
- We solved the substitution cipher together.
substitution effect
1/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən ɪfˈɛkt/
fixed phrase
technical
demand change from price-driven switching
In economics, the way people change what they buy when the price of one good goes up or down compared to another, so they switch to the cheaper one.
Examples
- Higher beef prices and stable chicken prices created a strong substitution effect.
- The substitution effect explains part of why demand curves slope downward.
- Economists separate the income effect and the substitution effect when analyzing consumer behavior.
substitution method
1/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən mˈɛθəd/
fixed phrase
technical
math method using substitution
A way to solve equations or other math problems by writing one variable in terms of another and putting that into the equation.
Examples
- We’ll use the substitution method to solve this system of equations.
- For these integrals, the substitution method is usually faster than integration by parts.
- The teacher compared the substitution method with the elimination method.
substitution reaction
1/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən ɹiˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
reaction replacing part of molecule
A type of chemical reaction where one part of a molecule is removed and another part is put in its place.
Examples
- Bromination of alkanes is a classic substitution reaction.
- Students must be able to name products of a substitution reaction in this exam.
- This chapter focuses on nucleophilic substitution reactions.
substitution therapy
1/sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən θˈɛɹəpi/
fixed phrase
technical
medical treatment replacing substances
A medical treatment in which doctors give a patient a substance, such as a hormone or medicine, to replace something important that the body does not have enough of.
Examples
- Patients with this condition often require lifelong hormone substitution therapy.
- Nicotine substitution therapy can help people stop smoking.
- The clinic specializes in opioid substitution therapy programs.
u-substitution
1/jˈu sˌʌbstɪtˈuʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
calculus substitution with u
In calculus, a special kind of substitution method where you choose a part of an expression to be a new variable called "u" to make an integral easier to solve.
Examples
- Many first-year calculus problems can be solved with u-substitution.
- The professor spent the whole lesson on u-substitution and basic integrals.
- Once you identify the inner function, u-substitution becomes straightforward.