unsubstituted
|un-sub-sti-tu-ted|
/ˌʌn.səbˈstɪtjuː.tɪd/
not replaced
Etymology
'unsubstituted' is formed from the negative prefix 'un-' + the past participle 'substituted' of 'substitute'. 'Substitute' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'substituere', where 'sub-' meant 'under/after' and 'stituere' (from 'statuere') meant 'to place or set'.
'unsubstituted' developed in English by adding the native negative prefix 'un-' to 'substituted' (Middle English and Early Modern English usage). 'Substitute' came into English via Old French from Latin 'substituere'. Over time the compound form 'unsubstituted' was used to express the negative of 'substituted'.
Originally it literally meant 'not put in place of another' (not substituted); over time it has retained that general sense and gained specialized technical use in fields such as chemistry to mean 'lacking substituent groups'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not substituted; not replaced by something else.
The original part remained unsubstituted during the repair.
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Adjective 2
in chemistry: having no substituent groups attached (i.e., hydrogen atoms present where substituents could be).
An unsubstituted benzene ring has only hydrogen atoms attached to its carbons.
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Last updated: 2025/12/07 14:29