instead of

preposition

in·​stead of in-ˈste-də(v) 

-ˈsti-

: in place of : as a substitute for or alternative to

chose tea instead of coffee

Examples of instead of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It's been a relatively calm weekend, with a pause in the fighting in the Middle East instead of an escalation. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 July 2026

By restoring full expensing for equipment purchases and research and development, the law lets businesses invest in growing instead of taxing those investments. — Kent Strang, Boston Herald, 26 July 2026

The task now is to build the scaffolding that lets the next dozen cities get the Detroit version of this movement instead of a diluted one. — Tonya M. Evans, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

In 2022, the skills competitions were played in an empty convention center; in 2026, the All-Star Game set an attendance record with 19,783 fans, packing an NBA arena instead of the Chicago Sky’s usual home of Wintrust Arena. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English in sted of

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for instead of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove

Kids Definition

instead of

preposition

in-ˌsted-ə(v), 

-ˌstid-

: in place of : as a substitute for

had milk instead of juice