: a subordinate or subsidiary station: such as
a
: a branch post office
b
: a subsidiary station in which electric current is transformed
c
: a police station serving a particular area

Examples of substation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Every transformer on the grid—from the cylinders perched on utility lines to the big spiky devices at substations—trades voltage for current at a fixed ratio. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 The Russian nighttime barrage hit 28 substations and other critical energy facilities, depriving more than a half-million people of electricity, heat and running water, Zelenskyy said on social media. — Samya Kullab, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026 Expand one substation, but what happens to power flowing elsewhere? — Charlie Sanchez, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Russian barrage kills a 21-year-old woman The Russian nighttime barrage hit 28 substations and other crucial energy facilities, depriving more than half a million people of electricity, heat and running water, Zelensky said on social media. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for substation

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of substation was in 1833

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Substation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substation. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

substation

noun
1
: a branch post office
2
: a subsidiary station in which electric current is transformed

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