Definition

Noun: * One who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another: A person who takes the position, role, or property of someone else by force, trickery, or underhanded means, forcing the original holder out.

Usage

The word "supplanter" is a formal and somewhat literary term. It describes a person whose defining action is to supplant another. It carries a strong negative connotation, implying the action was unjust, deceitful, or aggressive.

Examples

• In the biblical story, Jacob is often described as a supplanter who tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright.
• The young executive was seen as a ruthless supplanter who orchestrated his mentor's dismissal to take over the department.
• The new regime portrayed the ousted king not as a legitimate ruler, but as a supplanter who had usurped the throne.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically beyond people. An idea, technology, or trend can be personified as a supplanter.
  • The streaming service became the supplanter of traditional cable television.

Variants and Related Words

• Supplant (verb): The action of replacing someone or something, especially by force, scheming, or superiority.
  • Digital photography supplanted film photography in most markets.
• Supplantation (noun): The act or process of supplanting.

Synonyms

• Usurper: One who seizes a position of power without legal right.
• Ouster: One who expels or supplants another (less common as a personal noun).
• Replacer: A more neutral term without the connotation of wrongdoing.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To step into someone's shoes: This phrase can be neutral or positive, but in the context of a supplanter, it implies doing so improperly or prematurely.
  • He wasn't promoted; he was a supplanter who stepped into his boss's shoes after a carefully planned smear campaign.

Noun

1. one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another