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

To support Constant’s production, Shopkorn approaches their relationship in a more old-school model, sending her money as a stipend instead of waiting for a sale to go through and split it 50-50 as is now the norm. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Padma Khanna and other doubles performed some of the dances instead of Kumari, which made the continuity puzzle harder. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

At various town hall events, Sand has cited biblical passages that can be interpreted as saying that life begins at breath instead of conception. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026

On third-and-5, McVay opted to stay on the ground instead of a more aggressive approach to attempt a closer field goal. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 13 Oct. 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