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
  • West Hollywood has become the latest city to create a domestic partnership registry for polyamorous relationships, with the city’s five-person City Council unanimously approving the legal protections for alternative family structures.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Aramco is also exploring additional overseas storage capacity and alternative export routes to strengthen its global supply network.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 3 Nov. 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 Pittsburgh Penguins have unveiled their Hometown Remix uniforms, the newest set of alternate uniforms designed to celebrate the culture and fans of Pittsburgh.
    — Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Drivers should turn around and find an alternate route, and not underestimate the depth of floodwaters, according to the department.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 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
  • Tellingly, most other states give local governments this ability.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • His church, the Church of the Resurrection, was at the forefront of efforts to make the United Methodist Church more inclusive to LGBTQ congregants, but many other churches supported the change.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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