substitutive nomenclature

substitutive nomenclature

[′səb·stə‚tüd·iv ′nō·mən‚klā·chər] (organic chemistry) A system in which the name of a compound is derived by using the functional group (the substituent) as a prefix or suffix to the name of the parent compound to which it is attached; for example, in 2-chloropropane a chlorine atom has replaced a hydrogen atom on the central carbon of the propane chain.