Ersatz Definition

ĕrzäts, ĕr-zäts
adjective
Being a usually inferior imitation or substitute; artificial.
Ersatz coffee made of chicory.
American Heritage
Not genuine; fake.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
noun
Substitute or synthetic.
Webster's New World

Something made in imitation; an effigy or substitute.

(The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought).
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Ersatz

Noun

Singular:
ersatz
Plural:
ersatzes

Origin of Ersatz

  • German replacement from ersetzen to replace from Old High German irsezzan ir- out ud- in Indo-European roots sezzan to set sed- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From the German Ersatz (“a replacement”); and from the German verb ersetzen (“to replace”).

    From Wiktionary

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