rather than

1 of 2

conjunction

1

—used with the infinitive form of a verb to indicate negation as a contrary choice or wish

rather than continue the argument, he walked away

chose to sing rather than play violin

2

: and not

obscures rather than resolves the problem

why do one thing rather than another?

happy rather than sad

rather than

2 of 2

preposition

: instead of

rather than being pleased, she was angry

Examples of rather than in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Conjunction

Her memories of Parchman as a bucolic place rather than as a prison remind me that the children who grew up on the grounds of Parchman probably saw the place the same way. —Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026

Because the kitchen is set against one wall rather than nestled in a corner, the area feels open and bright. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026

Preposition

The story begins on a train, somewhat subverts the typical strangers-on-a-train narrative in which a chance encounter leads to a love story (that is, the Linklater version rather than the Hitchcock one). —Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026

Officials and defense analysts have long said that the constraint is not simply funding, but structural limits in a defense industrial base designed for predictable demand rather than rapid wartime expansion. —CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Conjunction

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1595, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rather than

• businessman
• canavan
• caravan
• constantan
• dragoman
• fisherman
• handyman
• harmattan
• journeyman
• marianne
• middleman
• minivan

Kids Definition

rather than

1 of 2 conjunction

1

—used to indicate negation or a contrary choice or wish

rather than argue, he walked away

chose to sing rather than play violin

2

: and not

happy rather than sad

why one thing rather than another?

rather than

2 of 2 preposition

: instead of

rather than being pleased, she was angry