instead of

Idioms  

1. Also, in lieu of; in place of; in someone's stead. In substitution for, rather than. For example, She wore a dress instead of slacks, or They had a soprano in lieu of a tenor, or In place of soft drinks they served fruit juice, or The chairman spoke in her stead. Instead of dates from about 1200; in lieu of, which borrows lieu, meaning “place,” from French, dates from the late 1200s; in place of dates from the 1500s; and in someone's stead from the 1200s. Also see under in someone's shoes.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instead of

But some are prone to ludicrous circumlocutions like “Johnny faces challenges in the lived experience of interactions with his peer group in educational spaces,” instead of “Johnny doesn’t get along with his classmates.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Film critic Jenna Ipcar has described how “a perfect comedy duo will make their audience feel like a lucky participant instead of just a passive observer, a welcome guest in a secret world.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Many of these funds churned their portfolios too much, responding to short-term signals instead of longer-term trends, he adds.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

From January 2027, this will give workers protection against unfair dismissal after six months instead of only after two years.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

It’s the only reason I can think of that a boy his age would be home instead of fighting in Europe.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse