Moonlight4u
Supplant vs replace He may be supplanted VS replaced by a younger man. Question which is more suitable? I think there is no subtle difference between them. Am i wrong? Thanks for your explain!
Jan 10, 2013 4:08 AM
Answers · 2
Supplant: To usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics. To displace and substitute for (another): Replace: To put back into a former position or place. To take or fill the place of. To be or provide a substitute. To pay back or return; refund. They mean basically the same, but I would use "replaced" unless the younger man obtained the job by using underhanded tactics.
January 10, 2013
There is a difference. 'Supplant' can imply something negative - a replacement where the person was forced or removed by some trick. It can also imply that the person being replaced was inferior. If you told me a person was replaced, it could be because he retired or was ill. If he/she was supplanted, I might think that the person did something wrong or that there were some politics involved.
January 10, 2013
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!