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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substitutive
Adjective
  • In the Coastal Commission’s letter to the mayor, the agency also requested that the city explore alternative ways to fund the maintenance of the fire rings and public restrooms.
    Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
  • If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • First discovered: 4 p.m. June 5 Initial location: Nevada County, Calif. Fire type: Wildfire Fire name: Brockway A new wildfire was reported today at 4 p.m. in Nevada County.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
  • Experts say the easiest way to become more open is to try something new.
    Elizabeth Passarella, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • The bill allows for an alternate calculation based on four of the last five years, a boon for officers who received big raises at the very end of their careers.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
  • Nonetheless, the Pentagon is preparing for alternate scenarios.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • The wide-ranging punishments for such sinful behavior could include a prohibition on wearing gold and other precious jewelry, as well as large tithes to monastic orders and the poor.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 June 2025
  • There have inevitably been reports about interest from other clubs.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 6 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Substitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substitutive. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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