Standard Lemma guide

replace

verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹɪˈpleɪs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ɹɪˈplæɪs/
  • rhymes with -eɪs
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY2 P L EY1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: ER0 P L EY1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To restore to a former place, position, condition, etc.; to put back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • When you've finished using the telephone, please replace the handset.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To refund; to repay; to pay back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • You can take what you need from the petty cash, but you must replace it tomorrow morning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To supply or substitute an equivalent with.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I replaced my car with a newer model.
  • The batteries were dead so I replaced them.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To take over the position or role from.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To take the place of; to be used instead of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • This security pass replaces the one you were given earlier.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To demolish (a building) and build an updated form of that building in its place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To place again.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To put in a new or different place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He replaced the old razor blade
  • We need to replace the secretary that left a month ago
  • the insurance will replace the lost income
  • This antique vase can never be replaced

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: regenerate, renew

Narrower terms: change, exchange, commute, convert, novate

10

verb

Meaning 10

put something back where it belongs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • replace the book on the shelf after you have finished reading it
  • please put the clean dishes back in the cabinet when you have washed them

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: put back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: put, set, place, pose, position, lay

Narrower terms: hang up

11

verb

Meaning 11

put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the con artist replaced the original with a fake Rembrandt
  • substitute regular milk with fat-free milk
  • synonyms can be interchanged without a changing the context's meaning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: substitute, interchange, exchange

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: shift, reduce, truncate, retool, subrogate

12

verb

Meaning 12

take the place or move into the position of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left
  • the computer has supplanted the slide rule
  • Mary replaced Susan as the team's captain and the highest-ranked player in the school

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: supplant, supersede, supervene upon, supercede

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: succeed, come after, follow

Narrower terms: substitute, deputize, deputise, step in, preempt, displace, usurp, oust

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English place English replace From re- + place.

Across languages

Translations

114 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: връщам (vrǎštam) — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Esperanto: remeti — to restore or return to a previous location
  • German: zurückstellen — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Greek: ανατοποθετώ (anatopothetó) — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Hungarian: visszatesz — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Hungarian: visszarak — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Ido: ripozar — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Ido: rilokizar — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Māori: whakahoki — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Māori: āki — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Polish: odkładać — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Polish: odłożyć — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Portuguese: substituir — to restore or return to a previous location
  • Hungarian: pótol — to refund; to repay; to pay back
  • Hungarian: visszafizet — to refund; to repay; to pay back
  • Hungarian: megtérít — to refund; to repay; to pay back
  • Arabic: اِسْتَبْدَلَ (istabdala) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Arabic: بَدَّلَ (baddala) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Azerbaijani: dəyişdirmək — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Azerbaijani: əvəz etmək — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Belarusian: замяня́ць (zamjanjácʹ) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Belarusian: замяні́ць (zamjanícʹ) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Bulgarian: заме́ням (zaménjam) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Bulgarian: замествам (zamestvam) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Catalan: reemplaçar — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Chinese Mandarin: 取代 (qǔdài) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Chinese Mandarin: 撤換 /撤换 (chèhuàn) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Chinese Mandarin: 交替 (jiāotì) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Chinese Mandarin: 替代 (tìdài) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Chinese Mandarin: 更換 /更换 (gēnghuàn) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Chinese Mandarin: 代替 (dàitì) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Crimean Tatar: avuştırmaq — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Czech: nahradit — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Danish: erstatte — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Danish: skifte ud — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Danish: udskifte — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Dutch: vervangen — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Esperanto: anstataŭigi — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Estonian: asendama — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Finnish: korvata — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • French: remplacer — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Georgian: გამოცვლის (gamocvlis) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Georgian: შეანაცვლებს (šeanacvlebs) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Georgian: ჩაანაცვლებს (čaanacvlebs) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Georgian: შეცვლის (šecvlis) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • German: ersetzen — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Greek: αντικαθιστώ (antikathistó) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Haitian Creole: ranplase — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Hebrew: הֶחְלִיף (hekhlif) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Hungarian: kicserél — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Hungarian: lecserél — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Hungarian: cserél — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Hungarian: felvált — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Ido: substitucar — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Italian: sostituire — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Italian: rimpiazzare — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Italian: riporre — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Japanese: 取り換える (torikaeru) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Korean: 교체하다 (gyoche-hada) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Korean: 대신하다 (daesin-hada) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Korean: 대체하다 (daeche-hada) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Latin: substituo — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Latin: repono — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Macedonian: заменува (zamenuva) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Malay: mengganti — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Māori: whakakapi — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Māori: rīwhi — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Middle English: translaten — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norman: rempliaichi — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Bokmål: erstatte — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avløse — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avløyse — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bytte ut — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: erstatte — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: erstatta — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: avløyse — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Occitan: remplaçar — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Persian: جایگزین کردن (jâygozin kardan) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Polish: zastępować — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Polish: zastąpić — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Polish: zamieniać — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Polish: zamienić — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Portuguese: substituir — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Romanian: înlocui — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Romanian: substitui — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Russian: заменя́ть (zamenjátʹ) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Russian: замени́ть (zamenítʹ) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Russian: замеща́ть (zameščátʹ) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Russian: замести́ть (zamestítʹ) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Serbo-Croatian: zamijeniti — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Spanish: reemplazar — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Spanish: mover el banquillo — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Spanish: remplazar — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Swedish: ersätta — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Swedish: byta ut — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Swedish: byta — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Swedish: byta mot — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Thai: เปลี่ยน (bplìian) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Ottoman Turkish: تعویض ایتمك (taʼviz etmek) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Ukrainian: заміня́ти (zaminjáty) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Ukrainian: заміни́ти (zaminýty) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Ukrainian: замі́нювати (zamínjuvaty) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Vietnamese: thay thế — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Yiddish: פֿאַרבײַטן (farbaytn) — to supply or substitute an equivalent for
  • Bulgarian: заме́ням (zaménjam) — to take over the position or role from
  • Esperanto: anstataŭi — to take over the position or role from
  • Hungarian: helyére lép — to take over the position or role from
  • Hungarian: helyébe lép — to take over the position or role from
  • Hungarian: átveszi a helyét — to take over the position or role from
  • Norwegian Bokmål: erstatte — to take over the position or role from
  • Bulgarian: заме́ням (zaménjam) — to take the place of; to be used instead of
  • Hungarian: felvált — to take the place of; to be used instead of
  • Norwegian Bokmål: erstatte — to take the place of; to be used instead of
  • Thai: แทนที่ — to take the place of; to be used instead of
Real reading context

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