replacement

The word “replacement” means a person or thing that takes the place of another. In plain terms, something (or someone) that stands in for another, or the act of swapping it in.

“Replacement” is pronounced rih-PLAYS-muhnt (/ɹɪˈpleɪsmənt/ in IPA).

Here is “replacement” used in a sentence: “They hired a replacement for the departing manager.”

“Replacement” is a noun.

“Replacement” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Replacement” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person or thing that takes the place of another.

The two overlap, but a replacement usually implies a permanent swap — the original is gone and something new takes its place for good. A substitute is often temporary or interchangeable, standing in for a time before the original returns. A departing employee's replacement is permanent; a stand-in during someone's holiday is a substitute.

When a light bulb burns out and you fit a new one, the new bulb is a replacement. Hiring someone to fill a role left by a departing worker, or swapping a cracked phone screen for a fresh one, are replacements too. In each case, one thing permanently takes another's place.

A replacement part is a new component fitted in place of one that is worn out, broken, or missing — such as a car's brake pads or a washing machine's pump. Replacement parts keep a machine working without the need to buy the whole thing again. They may be original-brand or third-party.