instead

adverb

in·​stead in-ˈsted 

1

: as a substitute or equivalent

was going to write but called instead

2

: as an alternative to something expressed or implied : rather

longed instead for a quiet country life

Synonyms

• first
• rather

Examples of instead in a Sentence

I was offered a ride, but I chose to walk instead.

Recent Examples on the Web

Conroy passed Daus off to the Trump team again as a witness, and Trump lawyer Emil Bove then got Daus to confirm that Bove's earlier cross-examination wasn't about actually observing evidence tampering, but instead about gaps that created risks of such tampering. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024

After looking at his schedule, it was agreed that Kelley would meet McGraw at a show in April instead. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 3 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing instead

• instead of

Kids Definition

instead

adverb

in·​stead in-ˈsted 

: as a substitute

was going to write but called instead