Main Entry: re·place

Pronunciation: \ri-ˈplās\

Function: transitive verb

Date: 1595

1 : to restore to a former place or position <replace cards in a file>
2 : to take the place of especially as a substitute or successor
3 : to put something new in the place of <replace a worn carpet>

— re·place·able \-ˈplā-sə-bəl\ adjective

— re·plac·er noun

synonyms replace, displace, supplant, supersede mean to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another. replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate <replaced the broken window>. displace implies an ousting or dislodging <war had displaced thousands>. supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else <was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another>. supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior <the new edition supersedes all previous ones>.