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

But Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the ban needlessly punishes the over 150 million Telegram users in the country, instead of the insiders who leaked the exam materials. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 20 June 2026

And most of those — which are within two blocks of a city parking garage or surface lot — will charge $4 an hour instead of the current $2. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 20 June 2026

So, the idea goes, instead of waiting until 2040, this new tank should be deployable during the 2030s. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026

For many people, the next tech job may involve a hard hat instead of a laptop. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 June 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