stead

1 of 2

noun

1
: the office, place, or function ordinarily occupied or carried out by someone or something else
acted in his brother's stead
2
: advantage
used chiefly in the phrase to stand one in good stead
3
obsolete : locality, place

stead

2 of 2

verb

steaded; steading; steads

transitive verb

: to be of avail to : help

Examples of stead in a Sentence

Noun a summer internship will stand you in good stead when applying to college
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The group hit the studio with Andy Sneap, who’s produced Priest’s last two studio albums and tours in Tipton’s stead. Gary Graff, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2025 In his stead will be Joao Laranjo, who has spent more than a decade with Stellantis and its affiliated companies. Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025 In McCarthy's stead, Wentz put together an impressive Week 3 performance, guiding the Vikings to a huge 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025 But Burrow is sidelined for weeks after toe surgery, and the Broncos will see Browning in his stead on Monday night, a longtime backup who capably filled in for Burrow over seven starts in 2023. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stead

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stede, from Old English; akin to Old High German stat place, Old English standan to stand — more at stand

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stead was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stead. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

stead

noun
ˈsted
1
: advantage sense 3, service
their knowledge of French stood them in good stead
2
: the place usually taken or duty carried out by the one mentioned
acted in the mayor's stead

More from Merriam-Webster on stead

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!