surrogate

1 of 2

noun

sur·​ro·​gate ˈsər-ə-gət How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
ˈsə-rə-,
-ˌgāt How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: one appointed to act in place of another : deputy
b
: a local judicial officer in some states (such as New York) who has jurisdiction over the probate of wills, the settlement of estates, and the appointment and supervision of guardians
2
3
: one that serves as a substitute

surrogate

2 of 2

verb

sur·​ro·​gate ˈsər-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
ˈsə-rə-
surrogated; surrogating

transitive verb

: to put in the place of another:
a
: to appoint as successor, deputy, or substitute for oneself

Examples of surrogate in a Sentence

Noun He could not attend the meeting, so he sent his surrogate. The governor and her surrogates asked the public to support the change. They had their baby through a surrogate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Aziza is, in many ways, the audience surrogate, which requires Young to really be present with her venom-spewing costars as new lies and revelations are unfurled. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 June 2025 Moreover, data tokenization or de-identification allows sensitive information (like PII or health records) to be replaced with non-sensitive surrogates, reducing risk without compromising analytics. Shinoy Vengaramkode Bhaskaran, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 Their little one is due via surrogate in November and will join the pair, who tied the knot in April 2022, as well as their dog Theodore. Hannah Sacks, People.com, 20 May 2025 In seeking the World Cup, Qatar spent vast amounts on public relations consultants and Western surrogates to make its case. Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for surrogate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin surrogatus, past participle of surrogare to choose in place of another, substitute, from sub- + rogare to ask — more at right

First Known Use

Noun

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of surrogate was in 1533

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surrogate. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

surrogate

noun
sur·​ro·​gate
ˈsər-ə-ˌgāt,
ˈsə-rə-,
-gət
1
: one appointed to act in place of another : deputy
2
: a court officer in some states who handles the settling of wills

Medical Definition

surrogate

noun
sur·​ro·​gate -gət, -ˌgāt How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
: one that serves as a substitute: as
a
: a representation of a person substituted through symbolizing (as in a dream) for conscious recognition of the person
b
: a drug substituted for another drug

Legal Definition

surrogate

noun
sur·​ro·​gate ˈsər-ə-gət How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
1
: one acting in the place of another
especially : one standing in loco parentis to a child
2
often capitalized : the judge or judicial officer of a Surrogate's Court or Surrogate's office
surrogate adjective
Etymology

Noun

Latin surrogatus, past participle of surrogare, subrogare to substitute, from sub- in place of, under + rogare to ask

More from Merriam-Webster on surrogate

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