surrogate

1 of 2

noun

sur·​ro·​gate ˈsər-ə-gət How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
ˈsə-rə-, 
-ˌgāt How to pronounce surrogate (audio)
Synonyms of surrogate
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
: surrogate mother
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
b
: substitute

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
That is because those spaces belong not to any particular president or administration but to all Americans, and CNN and other members of the press serve as surrogates for the public when covering the White House. — Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026 Two men from France contracted a Florida surrogate and were able to secure parental rights before the boy was even born. — Kimberly Bird, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 West and Kardashian wed in Italy the next year and went on to have three more kids (two via surrogate). — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 The issue is that when things do go wrong, there’s often not a lot of recourse or there’s a really big legal mess that parents and surrogates have to go through. — Ariana Aspuru, Vox, 14 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing surrogate

Browse Nearby Words

surrogacy
surrogate
surrogate mother
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Surrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surrogate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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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
c
: surrogate mother

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

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