Replace

How to spell replace

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce replace

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does replace mean?

1. verbTo take the place of someone or something, or to provide a substitute for it.
2. verbTo put something back in its former or proper position.

Replace in a sentence

• The company plans to replace the old printers with faster models.

• Please replace each book on the correct shelf after reading.

• It took weeks to find someone to replace the retiring manager.

• She carefully began to replace the receiver on the hook.

Where does replace come from?

Language of origin: French

This word is built from the prefix re-, meaning 'back' or 'again', joined to the verb 'place', which itself came into English from the Old French placer and ultimately from the Latin platea, meaning 'broad street' or 'open space'. The verb 'place' originally carried the sense of putting something into a particular position or spot. When the re- prefix was added in the late 1500s, the literal meaning was 'to put back in its former position', and from there it broadened to mean 'to take the place of' or 'to provide a substitute for'. The modern double meaning, restoring something to its spot versus swapping it for another thing, still echoes those two early threads. The spelling is straightforward because both parts, re- and place, are recognisable English elements, so the trap is mainly remembering the single c rather than a doubled or s-sounding letter.

How the word is built

• re- (back, again)
• place (to put in position)