noun

surrogate

SUH-ruh-giht

noun

A person or thing that substitutes for another.

"The therapist acted as a surrogate father figure for the boy."

A woman who carries a pregnancy for another person or couple.

"They found a surrogate through a specialist agency."

adj

Acting as a substitute.

"She became a surrogate mother for her sister's child."

How to Use Surrogate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA stand-in or substitute for someone or something, including a woman who carries a pregnancy for someone else.

Common pairings

surrogate mother a surrogate for

more surrogate comparative, surrogated past tense, surrogates singular, most surrogate superlative

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The therapist acted as a _____ father figure for the boy.

From Latin surrogatus, a variant of subrogare — from sub- ("under") + rogare ("to ask").

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