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

Instead of dwelling on his mistake, he used it to focus and bring more energy and clarity to what he was doing.

From BBC

"Talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media," he said.

From BBC

This environment encourages bacterial growth and tissue breakdown instead of repair.

From Science Daily

Instead of entering through the jaw, they traveled through the nasal region.

From Science Daily

Instead of fully decomposing, plant material builds up layer upon layer over thousands of years, forming deep deposits of peat that lock away carbon for the long term.

From Science Daily