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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Recent Examples of substitutive
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutive
Adjective
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There’s a growing demand for alternative trading partners, Ember’s report noted.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The funding round draws support from major alternative asset managers, signaling a shift in how the private sector views advanced nuclear deployment.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This work offers a new platform for designing efficient photo-electrocatalysts and advancing next-generation solar–electrochemical energy conversion systems.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase faced additional allegations of rigging pitches to benefit bettors in a new document filed on Thursday.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Tenants speaking to the town council Monday said JRK initially directed them to use their renter’s insurance to pay for alternate lodging; the company later agreed to pay those expenses after talking with town officials.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
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Those alternate itineraries also tend to be more expensive than those that sail through the Drake.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Brown slowly migrated back into what is now a full-time sports reporting job, except for the occasional substitute role as a news anchor.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
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The 21-year-old has started just three Premier League games and made seven substitute appearances in half a season at Molineux, and has made minimal impact under current head coach Rob Edwards.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yakitori's menu also features several specialty items inspired by Chapman's soul food background, likely not found at other Japanese steakhouses.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
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As for sales at Kering’s other brands, Saint Laurent was stable in Q4, marking another quarter of improvement, while Bottega Veneta was up 3%.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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