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Makeup vs Substitute - What's the difference?

makeup | substitute |

As nouns the difference between makeup and substitute

is that makeup is (uncountable) an item's composition while substitute is a replacement or stand-in for something that achieves a similar result or purpose.

As a verb substitute is

to use in place of something else, with the same function.

makeup

English

Alternative forms

*

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (uncountable) An item's composition.
  • To understand how a nuclear reactor works, we must first look at its makeup .
  • (uncountable) Cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to improve its appearance.
  • She is wearing a lot of makeup .
  • (Industry) Replacement; material used to make up for the amount that has been used up.
  • * 2005 , William C. Whitman, William M. Johnson, John A. Tomczyk, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology , page 1208:
  • When the water level drops, the float ball drops with it and opens the valve to the makeup water supply.

    Usage notes

    The alternative spelling make-up is favored by the Oxford Dictionary, and thus is often considered to be British, while makeup, being preferred by Merriam Webster's dictionary, is the generally accepted American spelling. In reference with Jean-Claude Corbeil/Ariane Archambault: Visual Dictionary, Look up a Word from a Picture, Find the Picture from a Word. (New York, USA / Oxford, UK, 1987)

    Hyponyms

    * See also

    References

    substitute

    English

    Verb

    (substitut)
  • To use in place of something else, with the same function.
  • I had no shallots so I substituted onion.
  • In the phrase "substitute X for Y", to use X in place of Y. With increasing frequency used in the semantically opposite sense (see the OED's notes).
  • I had to substitute new parts for the old ones.
  • In the phrase "substitute X with/by Y", to use Y in place of X; to replace X with Y
  • I had to substitute old parts with the new ones. (This usage was formerly proscribed.)
  • (sports) To remove (a player) from the field of play and bring on another in his place.
  • He was playing poorly and was substituted after twenty minutes
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=April 11 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Mario Balotelli replaced Tevez but his contribution was so negligible that he suffered the indignity of being substituted himself as time ran out, a development that encapsulated a wretched 90 minutes for City and boss Roberto Mancini. }}
  • To serve as a replacement (for someone or something)
  • * 1987 , , Essays in Economics, Vol. 2 , p. 75
  • Accumulation of wealth by this route may substitute for personal saving.

    Usage notes

    The verb "to substitute" can be used transitively in two opposite ways. "To substitute X" may mean either "use X in place of something else" (as in definitions 1 and 2), or "use something else in place of X" (as in definitions 3 and 4). The latter use is more recent, but it is widespread and now generally accepted (see the COED's note on the matter). However, if the indirect object (the "something else") is omitted, the preposition is also omitted, and the reader or hearer cannot tell which sense is meant: * "Substitute butter for olive oil" = Use butter instead of olive oil * "Substitute olive oil for butter" = Use olive oil instead of butter * "Substitute butter" = ??? * "Substitute olive oil" = ???

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A replacement or stand-in for something that achieves a similar result or purpose.
  • * De Quincey
  • Ladies [in Shakespeare's age] wore masks as the sole substitute known to our ancestors for the modern parasol.
  • (sports) A player who is available to replace another if the need arises, and who may or may not actually do so.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=November 3 , author=David Ornstein , title=Macc Tel-Aviv 1 - 2 Stoke , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Dean Whitehead opened the scoring shortly after the break with a low finish and substitute Peter Crouch sealed the win with a tap-in.}}
  • (historical) One who enlists for military service in the place of a conscript.
  • Synonyms

    * See also