Definition of substitutivenext
as in alternative
taking the place of one that came before his recent religious fanaticism is only the latest substitutive addiction of a person with an addictive personality

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of substitutive At the top end, its role is more augmentative than substitutive, and its impact more incremental than disruptive or transformational. — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026 This kind of substitutive logic appears in early case histories of anorexia. — Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutive
Adjective
  • Their sudden burst of ingenuity resulted in a number of alternative systems.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Norwegians who rely on alternative news sources are not necessarily less informed than their peers but are more confident in their knowledge.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • While Usher was off basking in the afterglow of Confessions, maturing into a divorcé in the mid-2000s, the R&B world was already priming itself for a new-school successor.
    — Clover Hope, Pitchfork, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Many voters thank him ​for pulling Serbia from economic obscurity and orchestrating a period of sustained modernisation including new highways, railways, schools and hospitals.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The central committee started its term in 2022 with more than 370 full and alternate members.
    — KANIS LEUNG, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That’s the fewest the Trojans have given up in a game since holding Michigan to 32 in their Big Ten debut, and in an alternate timeline, it might’ve been seen as a big moment for USC’s secondary.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Six nonverbal autistic students were missing for hours before arriving at a Brooklyn school more than four hours late after a substitute bus driver got lost, according to a city investigation.
    — Doug Williams, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • With zero acting gigs on the horizon and weary of taking handouts from Tori, Trina returns to Hollywood Arts for a substitute teaching position.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But Griffin’s focus on the Times story and other fallout has, acquaintances say, continued.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But many voters turned their backs on the party when Lula and other leaders became embroiled in corruption scandals in the 2010s.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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