supplant
Definitions
To take the place of someone or something, especially by force or scheming.
取代，排挤
To replace something with a newer or more effective alternative.
（被新事物）取代，淘汰
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedsup- (a form of sub-, 'under') + plant — but here plant carries the OTHER Latin sense of planta, 'sole of the foot.' sub- + plantāre meant to slip your foot under someone and trip them up. From tripping a rival to oust him came the modern meaning: to push someone out and take their place.
Root plant still carries 8 more wordsWhy It Means This
Unlike the rest of the family, supplant has nothing to do with seedlings — it uses planta in its 'sole of the foot' sense. The original picture is wrestling-like: sticking your foot under an opponent to trip and overthrow him. Over time the physical violence faded into a neutral 'replace and take over,' which is why it now describes anything that displaces something else — a new technology supplanting an old one, an heir supplanting a rival.
Usage Guide
- Rivalry (formal): a deputy who supplants the boss — implies maneuvering or ousting
- Technology/trends (neutral): streaming has supplanted DVDs — replaced and made obsolete
- More formal than 'replace'; carries a sense of one thing pushing another out, not a simple swap.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Smartphones have largely supplanted standalone cameras for everyday photos.
- 2.
He schemed for years to supplant his older brother as heir.
- 3.
No machine has yet supplanted the skilled human translator entirely.
Easily Confused
supplant vs replace vs supersede — replace is the neutral, everyday word (replace a battery). supplant implies pushing the old thing out, often by competition or scheming (a usurper supplants a king). supersede is formal and means a newer version officially makes the old one void (the new rules supersede the old).