substituent
|sub-sti-tu-ent|
🇺🇸
/səbˈstɪtʃuənt/
🇬🇧
/səbˈstɪtjuːənt/
something that replaces
Etymology
'substituent' originates from Latin, specifically from the present participle form of 'substituere' meaning 'to put in place of' (from 'sub-' 'under/near' + 'statuere' 'to set, place').
'substituere' (Latin) produced a Late Latin/Medieval Latin present participle 'substituens/substituent-' which entered English formation as 'substituent' to name something that substitutes or replaces.
Initially it meant 'one who or that which puts in place of' (an agent or act of placing), and over time it came to mean specifically 'that which replaces another', especially as a noun naming a replacing atom/group in chemistry.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a group or atom in a molecule that replaces another atom or group (especially a hydrogen) on the parent structure; a chemical group attached to a molecule in place of another.
The methyl substituent on the benzene ring greatly affects the compound's reactivity.
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Noun 2
one that substitutes or takes the place of another; a replacement or substitute in a general sense.
During the experiment, a substituent element was used instead of the original component.
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Last updated: 2025/11/22 23:03