substitutable

adjective

sub·​sti·​tut·​able ˈsəb-stə-ˌtü-tə-bəl How to pronounce substitutable (audio)
-ˈtyü-
: capable of being substituted
substitutability noun

Examples of substitutable in a Sentence

for our purposes, the quart and the liter are close enough to be substitutable for one another
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.
Miller described this as a selective abundance approach, where people with means will spend abundantly on things that have special worth and save abundantly, i.e. trade down, in purchases that are substitutable or replaceable. Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 The Future of Work Report 2025 of the World Economic Forum underscores that roles least substitutable by AI — teachers, mentors, coaches — will grow in importance, shifting societal appreciation towards human-centric skills. Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 As long as China is tightly bound to the United States and Europe through the trade of high-value goods that are not easily substitutable, the West will be far more effective in deterring the country from taking destabilizing actions. Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2024 Every good is substitutable for every other good on some margin. Dominic Pino, National Review, 25 July 2023 Anyway, a lot to chew on there, but the larger cloud has always been the question of whether AI can produce substitutable creative works wholesale. Vulture, 24 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of substitutable was in 1805

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Cite this Entry

“Substitutable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substitutable. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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