succedaneum

noun

suc·​ce·​da·​ne·​um ˌsək-sə-ˈdā-nē-əm How to pronounce succedaneum (audio)
plural succedaneums or succedanea ˌsək-sə-ˈdā-nē-ə How to pronounce succedaneum (audio)
: substitute
succedaneous
ˌsək-sə-ˈdā-nē-əs How to pronounce succedaneum (audio)
adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin succēdāneum, noun derivative from neuter of Latin succīdāneus, succēdāneus "killed as a substitute or addition, exposed to a danger in place of another," from succīdere "to cut from below or at the base, kill (a sacrificial victim) as a second offering" (from suc-, assimilated form of sub- sub- + caedere "to strike, cut through, fell, kill") + -āneus, suffix forming adjectives from compound verbs — more at concise

Note: The spellings with -ē- in place of -ī- show confusion with the verb succēdere "to move to a higher level, be successor (to)" (see succeed). In later Latin this association affected the meaning—hence in Medieval Latin succēdāneus apparently meant "that occurs or is granted subsequently" (see Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources). Lewis and Short's nineteenth-century Latin dictionary defines the adjective as "that follows after or succeeds to something," an interpretation that is reflected in etymologies in English-language dictionaries. Regarding the suffix -āneus see note at spontaneous.

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of succedaneum was in 1641

Rhymes for succedaneum

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Browse Nearby Words

succah
succedaneum
succedent
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Cite this Entry

“Succedaneum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/succedaneum. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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Medical Definition

succedaneum

see caput succedaneum
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