instead of

preposition

in·​stead of in-ˈste-də(v) How to pronounce instead of (audio)
-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
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How cities may use systems like this If these domes scale, cities could spread food production across many rooftops instead of one large farm. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025 Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Cheese Several staffers (and their spouses) are partial to a Spicy Chicken Sandwich instead of the classic. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2025 In that case, the Vision XL is pretty comfortably a 3+ instead of an all-out 4. New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025 Dylan Faden is revealed to be more of a melee fighter, which means Remedy is once again going down a different path with a new project instead of retreading old ground. Ian Stokes, Space.com, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for instead of

Word History

Etymology

Middle English in sted of

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instead of was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Instead of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instead%20of. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

instead of

preposition
in-ˌsted-ə(v)
-ˌstid-
: in place of : as a substitute for
had milk instead of juice

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