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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
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Moonlight4u
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English, Khmer (Cambodian), Korean, Vietnamese
Learning Language
Chinese (Mandarin), English, Khmer (Cambodian), Vietnamese
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