rimpiazzo

Rimpiazzo is a masculine Italian noun meaning replacement or substitute. It refers to a person or thing that takes the place of another, either temporarily or permanently. In everyday language it can denote spare parts used to replace a defective component, as well as a person who stands in for someone else, such as an actor, a worker covering a vacancy, or an athlete entering a game as a substitute. The term is common in technical, industrial, and service contexts where continuity of function is necessary.

Etymology: The word derives from the prefix ri- meaning “again” or “back” together with piazzare, meaning “to place” or “to set.” The combination conveys the sense of placing something in place again or in substitution. The form rimpiazzo has appeared in Italian since the medieval period and has since expanded into various collocations.

Usage: Typical phrases include rimpiazzo temporaneo (temporary replacement) and rimpiazzo definitivo (definitive replacement). In manufacturing and logistics, un rimpiazzo signals a spare part or substitute item kept on hand. In employment or performing arts, it describes a stand-in or substitute for a role. The term is generally neutral and pragmatic, often contrasted with sostituzione, which emphasizes the act of substituting rather than the substitute itself.

See also: sostituto, sostituzione.