replacement

American  

[ri-pleys-muhnt] / rɪˈpleɪs mənt /

noun

1. the act of replacing.

2. a person or thing that replaces another.

   summer replacements for vacationing staff; a replacement for a broken dish.

3. Military. a sailor, soldier, or airman assigned to fill a vacancy in a military unit.

4. Also called metasomatism.  Geology. the process of practically simultaneous removal and deposition by which a new mineral grows in the body of an old one.

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replacement British  

/ rɪˈpleɪsmənt /

noun

1. the act or process of replacing

2. a person or thing that replaces another

3. geology the growth of a mineral within another of different chemical composition by gradual simultaneous deposition and removal

4. Also called: petrification.  a process of fossilization by gradual substitution of mineral matter for the original organic matter

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Other Word Forms

• nonreplacement
  noun

Etymology

Origin of replacement

First recorded in 1780–90; replace + -ment

Explanation

A replacement is the thing that fills in for something that's missing, or the act of substituting for the missing thing. The replacement for your absent teacher is an annoying substitute. Sigh. When kids lose their baby teeth, replacements soon grow in their places. And when kids need to have their teeth cleaned but their dentist is on vacation, her replacement will be in charge of taking x-rays and checking for cavities. Replacement comes from the verb replace, which adds the "back" prefix re- to place, "to put somewhere."

Example Sentences

Draghi's replacement at the head of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, delivered a similar message about the European single market being unfulfilled and the responsibility of national leaders to act upon Draghi's report.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Although there are many alternative remedies for menopause, hormone replacement therapy remains the most effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

When Benitez was hired as his replacement, his first task was to convince his two best players to stay.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Recent months have seen a different team of engineers install a replacement engine as well as carry out checks on electrical and hydraulic systems.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

In these four areas the onset of food production provides little or no evidence for the domestication of local plant or animal species, but also little or no evidence for the replacement of human population.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• reinstatement
• restoration
• stand-in