instead

American  

[in-sted] / ɪnˈstɛd /

adverb

1. as a substitute or replacement; in the place or stead of someone or something.

   We ordered tea but were served coffee instead.

2. in preference; as a preferred or accepted alternative.

   The city has its pleasures, but she wished instead for the quiet of country life.

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idioms

1. instead of, in place of; in lieu of.

   You can use milk instead of cream in this recipe.

instead British  

/ ɪnˈstɛd /

adverb

1. as a replacement, substitute, or alternative

2. (preposition) in place of or as an alternative to

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Etymology

Origin of instead

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; originally phrase in stead “in place”

Explanation

The adverb instead means in place of or as a substitute for something else. If your best friend has a temper tantrum every time you play miniature golf, maybe next time you should go to the movies instead. The adverb instead was originally two words, "in stead," with "stead" coming from stede, the Old English word for place. The adverb instead can also mean rather than, and in this context it's usually followed by "of." Instead of worrying about the weather for your vacation, which is beyond your control, you should worry about whether you packed everything you need.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instead

He was sent, instead, to a disciplinary Siberia—in his case a Baltic port in Lithuania—where he was tasked with extracting information from Western sailors and businessman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

And he recounted his memories of his conversations with the King in meticulous detail, noting carefully in our discussion that the Palace had not explicitly denied his claims, instead choosing to question his judgement.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

"This is called back-energy transfer: it means that the energy that would have been emitted by the erbium ions as green light instead gets bounced back to the ytterbium relay and never reaches the surface."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

In 2000 the SEC charged him with fraud in a case he settled without admitting wrongdoing, agreeing instead to pay a $350,000 fine and disgorging $8.3 million.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

I took the horrible letter and since I couldn’t bear to have it close to my own body, I folded it into a book instead and set the book on top of my trunk.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse