You use surrogate to describe a person or thing that is given a particular role because the person or thing that should have the role is not available.
Martin had become Howard Cosell's surrogate son.
John Brown was the latest in a series of surrogate father figures in Victoria's life.
Leningrad was the third alien city to offer him a surrogate home.
Surrogate is also a noun.
Arms control should not be made into a surrogate for peace.
More Synonyms of surrogate
surrogate in British English
noun (ˈsʌrəɡɪt)
1.
a person or thing acting as a substitute
2. mainly British
a deputy, such as a member of the clergy appointed to deputize for a bishop in granting marriage licences
3. psychiatry
a person who is a substitute for someone else, esp in childhood when different persons, such as a brother or teacher, can act as substitutes for the parents
4.
(in some US states) a judge with jurisdiction over the probate of wills, etc
5. (modifier)
of, relating to, or acting as a surrogate
a surrogate pleasure
verb (ˈsʌrəˌɡeɪt)(transitive)
6.
to put in another's position as a deputy, substitute, etc
7.
to appoint as a successor to oneself
Derived forms
surrogateship (ˈsurrogateship)
noun
surrogation (ˌsurroˈgation)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin surrogāre to substitute; see subrogate
surrogate in American English
(ˈsɜrəgɪt; ˈsɜrəˌgeɪt; for v., ˈsɜrəˌgeɪt)
noun
1.
a deputy or substitute
2. US
in some states, probate court, or a judge of this court
3. Psychiatry
a substitute figure, esp. a person of some authority, who replaces a father or mother in one's feelings
4.
a woman who, by prior agreement, becomes pregnant and bears a child for another woman, who will raise the child as its mother
adjective
5.
of or acting as a surrogate
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈsurroˌgated or ˈsurroˌgating
6.
to put in another's place as a substitute or deputy
Word origin
L surrogatus, pp. of surrogare, to elect in place of another, substitute < sub- (see sub-) + rogare, to ask: see rogation
Examples of 'surrogate' in a sentence
surrogate
I don't have...' She checked herself, the image of her real mother had crowded out her surrogate parents.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)
She could feel it pulling her down, slowing her down, aching her already sore body or surrogate of one.
Kerr, Katharine A TIME OF WAR (2002)
Ursula took her job as surrogate parent seriously, as she took everything seriously.
Alex Shakar THE SAVAGE GIRL (2002)
In other languages
surrogate
British English: surrogate ADJECTIVE
You use surrogate to describe a person or thing that is given a particular role because the person or thing that should have the role is not available.
He had become the man's surrogate son.
American English: surrogate
Brazilian Portuguese: substituto
Chinese: 替代的
European Spanish: sustituto
French: de substitution
German: Ersatz-
Italian: surrogato
Japanese: 代理の
Korean: 대리의
European Portuguese: substituto
Latin American Spanish: sustituto
Chinese translation of 'surrogate'
surrogate
(ˈsʌrəɡɪt)
n(c)
替代品 (tìdàipǐn) (个(個), gè)
adj
(= substitute) 替代的 (tìdài de)
(noun)
Definition
a person or thing acting as a substitute
Leningrad was the third alien city to offer him a surrogate home.
Synonyms
substitute
She is seeking a substitute while her secretary is on leave.
deputy
France's minister for culture and his deputy attended the meeting.
representative
trade union representatives
stand-in
He was a stand-in for my regular doctor.
proxy
She sent him as her proxy to board meetings.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of deputy
Definition
a person appointed to act on behalf of another
France's minister for culture and his deputy attended the meeting.
Synonyms
substitute,
representative,
stand-in,
ambassador,
agent,
commissioner,
delegate,
lieutenant,
subordinate,
proxy,
surrogate,
second-in-command,
nuncio,
legate,
vicegerent,
number two
in the sense of proxy
Definition
a person authorized to act on behalf of someone else