Meaning & use
the surrogate
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Meanings
nouncountablemedicallegal
A person who takes the place of another, especially a woman who carries a baby for someone else.
Grammar: Usually singular in this phrase; the plural is 'the surrogates' when referring to a specific group.
Patterns
- the surrogate mother
- act as the surrogate
- the surrogate for someone
The surrogate carried twins for the couple who could not have children.
In legal documents, the surrogate is often called the gestational carrier.
The surrogate gave birth in a hospital in California.
nouncountabletechnical
A substitute or replacement for something else, often used in technical contexts.
Grammar: Often followed by 'for': a surrogate for real experience.
Patterns
- a surrogate for something
- serve as a surrogate
The researchers used a surrogate for human tissue in the experiment.
This metric is only a surrogate for actual performance.
In statistics, a surrogate variable stands in for one that cannot be measured directly.
Word forms
| plural | surrogates |
|---|
Common combinations
- surrogate mother
- The surrogate mother was paid for her expenses.
- act as a surrogate
- She acted as a surrogate for her sister.
- surrogate for
- This test is a surrogate for the real thing.
- surrogate decision-maker
- A surrogate decision-maker was appointed for the patient.
Synonyms and how they differ
- substitute
- This is a general word for anything that replaces another; 'surrogate' is more formal and often used in medical or legal contexts.
- replacement
- This focuses on taking the place of something that is gone or broken; 'surrogate' often implies a deliberate stand-in role.
Word family
- surrogacy noun
- The practice of a woman carrying a baby for another person.
Commonly confused: the surrogate or surrogate (adjective)?
the surrogate vs surrogate (adjective)
The same word can be an adjective meaning 'used as a substitute', as in 'surrogate mother'. The noun and adjective are spelled the same.
Practice
In which sentence is 'the surrogate' used correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option A uses the singular noun correctly with a singular verb. Option B has an incorrect plural; option C uses a plural verb with a singular subject; option D is redundant and awkward.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the surrogate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.