As a substitute vs As a substitution

Both "as a substitute" and "as a substitution" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "As a substitute" is more commonly used to refer to a person or thing that takes the place of another, while "as a substitution" is less common and is typically used in a more formal or technical context.

Last updated: March 22, 2024 • 957 views

As a substitute

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to indicate that someone or something is acting as a replacement for another person or thing.

Examples:

She served as a substitute teacher while the regular teacher was on leave.
You can use yogurt as a substitute for sour cream in this recipe.
He was hired as a substitute for the injured player.
I used honey as a substitute for sugar in the recipe.
The backup generator kicked in as a substitute for the main power source.

Show examples from the web [+]

And I might be using food as a substitute.
That's why I quit my last job as a substitute driver for bars.
As a substitute for the condition concerning the temperature, it is possible to apply a limited time of operation, which takes into account the regional climatic conditions.
It shall not be used as a substitute for other public and private expenditure.
It should not be used as a substitute for desirable but unadopted legislation.
At the same time, he stressed that investors must not treat the opinion of rating agencies as a substitute for their own credit analysis and due diligence.
3. Greenhouse gases and use of wood as a substitute
Such deposits are used as a substitute to savings accounts and are popular among consumers in many Member States.
It shall not be used as a substitute for other public and private expenditure ).
(14) Assistance from the Fund will be regarded as effective only in so far as it brings about sustainable economic and social improvement and is not used as a substitute for other public or private expenditure.
No, I'm sure you're not, but the danger is that one can use culture worship as a substitute for engaging with the messy business of living.
(10) Assistance from the Fund should be regarded as effective only in so far as it brings about sustainable economic and social improvement and is not used as a substitute for other public or private expenditure.
It is important to note that macro-prudential oversight should not be regarded as a substitute for the responsibilities of other authorities, namely supervisors.
Assistance from the Fund should be regarded as effective only in so far as it brings about sustainable economic and social improvement and is not used as a substitute for other public or private expenditure.
That is why we need a tailored development package for the poorest countries, not as a substitute for what we could achieve later, but as a down payment on it.
The European elections cannot function as a substitute for a referendum; they combine far too many different issues and their results would be far too confusing to allow any message to be validly discerned from them.
By all means let us encourage the use of complementary measures to reduce emissions, but as an addition, not as a substitute, for these technical improvements.
Technology markets consist of the intellectual property that is licensed and its close substitutes, i.e. other technologies which customers could use as a substitute.
Assistance from the Fund should be regarded as effective only in so far as it brings about sustainable economic and social improvement and is not used as a substitute for other public or private expenditure.
As it is now, EU funds are often used as a substitute for former national regional policy funds.

Alternatives:

as a replacement
in lieu of
as an alternative
as a stand-in
as a backup

As a substitution

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English.

This phrase is used in a more formal or technical context to indicate the act of replacing one thing with another.