250+ One Word Substitutions of Different Categories

One word substitution is a replacement for long and lengthy sentences or definitions. One word substitution falls under the category of ‘Vocabulary’ as word, sentences, definitions are parts of a speech as well.

To make the language crisp, short and intact, one word is replaced with lengthy, elongated and elucidated contexts.

Also Read:

• 500 Important One Word Substitutions
• 100 One Word Substitution – English Learning

The practice of ‘One-word substitution’ is, also, something that replaces a word with a context but without changing the meaning of the given same context.

Category: Individual Character/Person/ People

1. One who is not sure about God’s existence – Agnostic
2. A person who deliberately sets fire to a building – Arsonist
3. One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession – Amateur
4. One who can use either hand with ease – Ambidextrous
5. One who makes an official examination of accounts – Auditor
6. A person who believes in or tries to bring about a state of lawlessness – Anarchist
7. A person who has changed his faith – Apostate
8. One who does not believe in the existence of God – Atheist
9. A person appointed by two parties to solve a dispute – Arbitrator
10. One who leads an austere life – Ascetic
11. One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession – Amateur
12. One who can either hand with ease – Ambidextrous
13. An unconventional style of living – Bohemian
14. One who is bad in spellings – Cacographer
15. One who feeds on human flesh – Cannibal
16. A person who is blindly devoted to an idea/ A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism – Chauvinist
17. A critical judge of any art and craft – Connoisseur
18. Persons living at the same time – Contemporaries
19. One who is recovering health after illness – Convalescent
20. A girl/woman who flirts with man – Coquette
21. A person who regards the whole world as his country – Cosmopolitan
22. One who is a centre of attraction – Cynosure
23. One who sneers at the beliefs of others – Cynic
24. A leader or orator who espoused the cause of the common people – Demagogue
25. A person having a sophisticated charm – Debonair
26. A leader who sways his followers by his oratory – Demagogue
27. A dabbler (not serious) in art, science and literature – Dilettante
28. One who is for pleasure of eating and drinking – Epicure
29. One who often talks of his achievements – Egotist
30. Someone who leaves one country to settle in another – Emigrant
31. A man who is womanish in his habits – Effeminate
32. One hard to please (very selective in his habits) – Fastidious
33. One who runs away from justice – Fugitive
34. One who is filled with excessive enthusiasm in religious matters – Fanatic
35. One who believes in fate – Fatalist
36. A lover of good food – Gourmand
37. Conferred as an honour – Honorary
38. A person who acts against religion – Heretic
39. A person of intellectual or erudite tastes – Highbrow
40. A patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments – Hypochondriac
41. A person who is controlled by wife – Henpeck
42. One who shows sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality – Indefatigable
43. Someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions – Iconoclast
44. One who does not express himself freely – Introvert
45. Who behaves without moral principles – Immoral
46. A person who is incapable of being tampered with – Impregnable
47. One who is unable to pay his debts – Insolvent
48. A person who is mentally ill – Lunatic
49. A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society – Misanthrope
50. A person who primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics – Mercenary
51. Someone in love with himself – Narcissist
52. One who collect coins as hobby – Numismatist
53. A person who likes or admires women – Philogynist
54. A lover of mankind – Philanthropist
55. A person who speaks more than one language – Polyglot
56. One who lives in solitude – Recluse
57. Someone who walks in sleep – Somnambulist
58. A person who is indifferent to the pains and pleasures of life – Stoic
59. A scolding nagging bad-tempered woman – Termagant
60. A person who shows a great or excessive fondness for one’s wife – Uxorious
61. One who possesses outstanding technical ability in a particular art or field – Virtuoso

Category: Collection/ Group

1. A group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place – Battery
2. A large bundle bound for storage or transport – Bale
3. A large gathering of people of a particular type – Bevy
4. An arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present – Bouquet
5. A family of young animals – Brood
6. A group of things that have been hidden in a secret place – Cache
7. A group of people, typically with vehicles or animals travelling together – Caravan
8. A closed political meeting – Caucus
9. An exclusive circle of people with a common purpose – Clique
10. A group of followers hired to applaud at a performance – Claque
11. A series of stars – Constellation
12. A funeral procession – Cortege
13. A group of worshippers – Congregation
14. A herd or flock of animals being driven in a body – Drove
15. A small fleet of ships or boats – Flotilla
16. A small growth of trees without underbrush – Grove
17. A community of people smaller than a village – Hamlet
18. A group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals – Herd
19. A large group of people – Horde
20. A temporary police force – Posse
21. A large number of fish swimming together – Shoal
22. A strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid – Torrent

Category: Research/ Profession

1. The medieval forerunner of chemistry – Alchemy
2. A person who presents a radio/television programme – Anchor
3. One who studies the evolution of mankind – Anthropologist
4. A person who is trained to travel in a spacecraft – Astronaut
5. The scientific study of the physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification, and economic
6. importance of plants – Botany
7. A person who draws or produces maps – Cartographer
8. A person who writes beautiful writing – Calligrapher
9. A person who composes the sequence of steps and moves for a performance of dance – Choreographer
10. A person employed to drive a private or hired car – Chauffeur
11. A person who introduces the performers or contestants in a variety show – Compere
12. A keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection – Curator
13. The branch of biology concerned with cyclical physiological phenomena – Chronobiology
14. A secret or disguised way of writing – Cypher
15. The study of statistics – Demography
16. The use of the fingers and hands to communicate and convey ideas – Dactylology
17. A person who sells and arranges cut flowers – Florist
18. A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor – Genealogy
19. The therapeutic use of sunlight – Heliotherapy
20. The art or practice of garden cultivation and management – Horticulture
21. One who supervises in the examination hall – Invigilator
22. The theory or philosophy of law – Jurisprudence
23. A person who compiles dictionaries – Lexicographer
24. The scientific study of the structure and diseases of teeth – Odontology
25. One who presents a radio programme – Radio Jockey
26. The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing – Rhetoric
27. The branch of science concerned with the origin, structure, and composition of rocks – Petrology
28. One who study the elections and trends in voting – Psephologist
29. An artist who makes sculptures. – Sculptor
30. The scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals – Zoology

Category: Spot/ Venue

1. A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people – Archives
2. A large cage, building, or enclosure for keeping birds in – Aviary
3. A building where animals are butchered – Abattoir
4. A place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives – Apiary
5. A building containing tanks of live fish of different species – Aquarium
6. A place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict – Arena
7. A collection of weapons and military equipment – Arsenal
8. An institution for the care of people who are mentally ill – Asylum
9. A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling – Burrow
10. A collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place – Cache
11. A public room or building where gambling games are played – Casino
12. A large burial ground, especially one not in a churchyard – Cemetery
13. A room in a public building where outdoor clothes or luggage may be left – Cloakroom
14. A place where a dead person’s body is cremated – Crematorium
15. A Christian community of nuns living together under monastic vows – Convent
16. Nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day – Creche
17. A stoppered glass container into which wine or spirit is decanted – Decanter
18. A large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution – Dormitory
19. The nest of a squirrel, typically in the form of a mass of twigs in a tree – Drey
20. A room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and other physical exercise – Gymnasium
21. A storehouse for threshed grain – Granary
22. A large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft. – Hangar
23. A box or cage, typically with a wire mesh front, for keeping rabbits or other small domesticated animals – Hutch
24. A place in a large institution for the care of those who are ill – Infirmary
25. A small shelter for a dog – Kennel
26. A place where wild animal live – Lair
27. A place where coins, medals, or tokens are made – Mint
28. A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition – Menagerie
29. A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows – Monastery
30. A place where bodies are kept for identification – Morgue
31. A piece of enclosed land planted with fruit trees – Orchard
32. A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply – Reservoir
33. A small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and another dirty household work – Scullery
34. A close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword – Sheath
35. A room or building for sick children in a boarding school – Sanatorium
36. A place where animal hides are tanned – Tannery
37. A large, tall cupboard in which clothes may be hung or stored – Wardrobe

Category: Government/ Systems

1. A state of disorder due to absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems – Anarchy
2. A form of government in which power is held by the nobility – Aristocracy
3. A system of government by one person with absolute power – Autocracy
4. A self-governing country or region – Autonomy
5. A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives – Bureaucracy
6. A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives – Democracy
7. A state, society, or group governed by old people – Gerontocracy
8. A state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens – Kakistocracy
9. Government by new or inexperienced hands – Neocracy
10. Government by the populace – Ochlocracy
11. A small group of people having control of a country or organization – Oligarchy
12. Government by the wealthy – Plutocracy
13. Government not connected with religious or spiritual matters – Secular
14. A form of government with a monarch at the head – Monarchy
15. A political system based on government of men by God – Thearchy

Category: Fear/ Phobia

1. An extreme or irrational fear of heights – Acrophobia
2. An irrational fear of fresh air or drafts of air – Aerophobia
3. Fear of being egotistical, being alone or isolated – Autophobia
4. A phobia of pain – Algophobia
5. An abnormal fear of heights – Altophobia
6. An emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat – Anorexia
7. An extreme or irrational fear of open or public places – Agoraphobia
8. An abnormal and persistent fear of depths – Bathophobia
9. Fear or hatred of books – Bibliophobia
10. Fear of ugliness and things that are ugly – Cacophobia
11. A dislike of being in the centre – Centrophobia
12. An extreme fear about beauty – Cellophobia
13. Fear of time – Chronophobia
14. Fear of dogs – Cynophobia
15. An extreme or irrational fear of confined places – Claustrophobia
16. A delusion of being possessed by evil spirits – Demonomania
17. An abnormal and persistent fear of drinking alcohol – Dipsophobia
18. An abnormal and persistent fear of work or finding employment – Ergophobia
19. Fear of getting married, being in a relationship, or commitment – Gamophobia
20. Physical or psychological fear of sexual relations or sexual intercourse – Genophobia
21. Fear of old age – Geraphobia
22. Fear of knowledge – Gnosiophobia
23. Fear of women – Gynaephobia
24. Fear of writing or handwriting – Graphophobia
25. An irrational and intense fear of travel – Hodophobia
26. An excessive fear or aversion to obtaining pleasure – Hedonophobia
27. Fear of disease – Haemetophobia
28. An obsessive fear of words – Logophobia
29. An extreme fear of wind or drafts – Menemophobia
30. An extreme or irrational fear of the night or of darkness – Nyctophobia
31. Fear of medication – Pharamacophobia
32. Fear of death – Thanatophobia
33. Extreme superstition regarding the number thirteen – Triskaidekaphobia

Category: Murder/ Death

1. A solemn procession, especially for a funeral – Cortege
2. A poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead – Elegy
3. A phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died – Epitaph
4. Killing of one’s son or daughter – Filicide
5. Destruction or abortion of a fetus – Foeticide
6. Killing of one’s brother or sister – Fratricide
7. Killing of a large group of people – Genocide
8. Killing of one person by another – Homicide
9. Killing of infants – Infanticide
10. Burial of a corpse in a grave or tomb – Interment
11. Killing of one’s mother – Matricide
12. A room or building in which dead bodies are kept – Mortuary
13. A news article that reports the recent death of a person – Obituary
14. Killing of a parent or other near relative – Parricide
15. Killing of one’s father – Patricide
16. An examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death – Postmortem
17. Action of killing a king – Regicide
18. Killing of one’s sister – Sororicide
19. Act of intentionally causing one’s own death – Suicide
20. Killing of one’s wife – Uxoricide

Category: Sound

1. The branch of physics concerned with the properties of sound – Acoustics
2. The sound of Alligators – Bellow
3. The sound of Deers – Bell
4. The sound of Crows – Caw
5. The sound of Geese – Cackle
6. The sound of Hens – Cluck
7. The sound of Dolphins – Click
8. The sound of Frogs – Croak
9. The sound of Crickets – Creak
10. The sound of Monkeys – Gibber
11. The sound of Camels – Grunt
12. The sound of Owls – Hoot
13. The sound of Penguins – Honk
14. The sound of Cattle – Moo
15. The sound of Horses – Neigh
16. The sound of Nightingales – Pipe
17. The sound of Ducks – Quack
18. The sound of Parrots – Screech
19. The sound of Rats – Squeak
20. The sound of Birds – Twitter
21. The sound of Elephants – Trumpet
22. The sound of Mosquitoes – Whine

Category: Generic Terms

1. An act of abdicating or renouncing the throne – Abdication
2. An annual calendar containing important dates and statistical information such as astronomical data and tide tables – Almanac
3. A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that is born in water and breathes with gills – Amphibian
4. A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one – Allegory
5. A statement or proposition on which an abstractly defined structure is based – Axiom
6. A nation or person engaged in war or conflict, as recognized by international law – Belligerent
7. An examination of tissue removed from a living body to discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease – Biopsy
8. The action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk – Blasphemy
9. The arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence – Chronology
10. A vigorous campaign for political, social, or religious change – Crusade
11. Lasting for a very short time – Ephemeral
12. Spoken or done without preparation – Extempore
13. Release someone from a duty or obligation – Exonerate
14. Fond of company – Gregarious
15. Making marks that cannot be removed – Indelible
16. Incapable of making mistakes or being wrong – Infallible
17. Certain to happen – Inevitable
18. A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past – Nostalgia
19. A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases – Panacea
20. A doctrine which identifies God with the universe – Pantheism
21. Excessively concerned with minor details or rules – Pedantic
22. The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own – Plagiarism
23. Safe to drink – Potable
24. The emblems or insignia of royalty – Regalia
25. Violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred – Sacrilege
26. A position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit – Sinecure
27. A thing that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event – Souvenir
28. An imaginary ideal society free of poverty and suffering – Utopia
29. Denoting a sin that is not regarded as depriving the soul of divine grace – Venial
30. In exactly the same words as were used originally – Verbatim

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