Standard Lemma guide

supplant

verb · 3 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.

  • UK: səpläntʹ
  • UK: /səˈplɑːnt/
  • rhymes with -ɑːnt
  • Canada, Northern-England, US: səplăntʹ
  • Canada, Northern-England, US: /səˈplænt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ænt
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 P L AE1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To take the place of; to replace, to supersede.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Will online dictionaries ever supplant paper dictionaries?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dethrone, oust, replace, supersede, take over from

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To uproot, to remove violently.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: uproot

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

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: replace, 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

From Middle English supplanten, supplaunten, from Old French supplanter, from Latin supplantō (“trip up”), from sub (“from below, under”) + planta (“sole”).

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: изме́ствам (izméstvam) — to take the place of, to replace
  • Bulgarian: избу́твам (izbútvam) — to take the place of, to replace
  • Dutch: verdringen — to take the place of, to replace
  • Dutch: vervangen — to take the place of, to replace
  • Dutch: opvolgen — to take the place of, to replace
  • Esperanto: anstataŭi — to take the place of, to replace
  • Finnish: korvata — to take the place of, to replace
  • French: supplanter — to take the place of, to replace
  • German: verdrängen — to take the place of, to replace
  • German: ersetzen — to take the place of, to replace
  • German: ausstechen — to take the place of, to replace
  • Greek: υποσκελίζω (yposkelízo) — to take the place of, to replace
  • Māori: rīwhi — to take the place of, to replace
  • Māori: whakakapi — to take the place of, to replace
  • Portuguese: suplantar — to take the place of, to replace
  • Portuguese: substituir — to take the place of, to replace
  • Romanian: înlocui — to take the place of, to replace
  • Russian: вытесня́ть (vytesnjátʹ) — to take the place of, to replace
  • Russian: выживать (vyživatʹ) — to take the place of, to replace
  • Spanish: suplantar — to take the place of, to replace
  • Swedish: ersätta — to take the place of, to replace
  • Swedish: avlösa — to take the place of, to replace
  • Swedish: tränga undan — to take the place of, to replace
  • Turkish: yerine geçmek — to take the place of, to replace
  • Bulgarian: изпъ́ждам (izpǎ́ždam) — to remove violently
  • French: détrôner — to remove violently
  • French: déposer — to remove violently
  • French: dézinguer — to remove violently
  • French: renverser — to remove violently
  • French: éradiquer — to remove violently
  • Italian: detronizzare — to remove violently
  • Italian: rovesciare — to remove violently
  • Russian: искорени́ть (iskorenítʹ) — to remove violently
  • Spanish: destronar — to remove violently
  • Spanish: derribar — to remove violently
  • Spanish: derrocar — to remove violently