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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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
  • As the lake dries, the ruins of one of 11 villages that had been inundated by the reservoir have emerged, as alarm grows over the need for alternative water supplies for the city of 42 million.
    EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers have been looking for alternative approaches that can deliver the power densities of lithium-ion batteries at a fraction of the cost, while maintaining performance characteristics.
    Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • This means their meaning is easier to guess for someone without any previous knowledge of the gesture or language being spoken; perfect for creating a new language from scratch.
    Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Lane Kiffin’s new team at LSU couldn’t deny Trinidad Chambliss — the quarterback Kiffin helped transform into a star after recruiting him from a Division II program to Mississippi last year.
    Brett Martel, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, the other characters grow unstable, too, seeming to become alternate versions of the pincher or her mother.
    Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In the White House meeting, Vought reportedly presented OMB control of NIH grants as an alternate means of targeting Harvard.
    John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Applicants will have to register with the secretary of state, document a threat within the past year and receive a substitute address that government agencies must generally accept.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The bill would provide participants in the program with a substitute address, shielding their personal information and rerouting their mail through the Secretary of State.
    Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • In other cases, Virginia prosecutors have previously brought their own expert witnesses to counter an insanity defense at trials or even disputed the claims without their own expert, according to reports and court records.
    Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Even though the analysis adjusted for several potential confounding factors, other unmeasured factors could still contribute to the observed relationship.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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