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 instead of deflecting, Trump’s move tied him even closer to the issue by placing his political fate in the hands of judges and state lawmakers willing to go far beyond where most voters stand. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024

Most millennials have already bought their own home, instead of waiting to inherit one in their sixties. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

Lynch is nuanced enough to make Frank a memorably self-loathing villain instead of a one-note stooge, which ultimately makes the show more rewarding as a drama than as comedy. —Chris Klimek, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024

Hamilton figured that a digital dead man’s switch, which would release a document payload instead of switching off a machine, could help someone to recover their wallet or pass credentials to an inheritor without having to trust a third party. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024

What’s more, instead of moving to 3-nm technology, the coming competitor Blackwell is done on a process called N4P. TSMC describes N4P as being in the same 5-nm family as N5 but delivering an 11 percent performance boost, 22 percent better efficiency, and 6 percent higher density. —IEEE Spectrum, 9 Apr. 2024

Effective May 20 at Walt Disney World and June 18 at Disneyland, DAS enrollment for the program will extend to last 120 days instead of 60, and DAS party size will be limited to include only immediate family members, or no more than four guests. —Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024

Would-be voters uncertain about their eligibility can file provisional ballots instead of casting a regular one, leaving it to election officials to verify their voter status and tally or toss the vote accordingly (Mason’s vote wasn’t counted). —Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2024

Just like long-term strategic investors hold their positions instead of fleeing the market, companies need to stay the course with communications as a constant. —Rachel Kule, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English in sted of

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

instead of

preposition

in-ˌsted-ə(v),

-ˌstid-

: in place of : as a substitute for

had milk instead of juice