substitutive

adjective

sub·​sti·​tu·​tive ˈsəb-stə-ˌtü-tiv 

-ˌtyü-

: serving or suitable as a substitute

substitutively adverb

Synonyms

• makeshift
• new
• substitute

Example Sentences

his recent religious fanaticism is only the latest substitutive addiction of a person with an addictive personality

Recent Examples on the Web

This kind of substitutive logic appears in early case histories of anorexia. —Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021

This simple, substitutive kind of automation, Mr. Acemoglu and Mr. Restrepo wrote, threatens not just individual workers, but the economy as a whole. —New York Times, 6 Mar. 2021

Somewhere along the line, a foundational philosophy emerged: Identity is additive, not substitutive. —Monte Reel, Bloomberg.com, 20 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

substitutive

adjective

sub·​sti·​tu·​tive ˈsəb-stə-ˌt(y)üt-iv 

: serving or suitable as a substitute

substitutive behavior

substitutively adverb