instead

[in-sted]

See more synonyms for instead on Thesaurus.com

adverb

as a substitute or replacement; in the place or stead of someone or something: We ordered tea but were served coffee instead.
in preference; as a preferred or accepted alternative: The city has its pleasures, but she wished instead for the quiet of country life.

Idioms

instead of, in place of; in lieu of: You can use milk instead of cream in this recipe.

Origin of instead

1175–1225; Middle English; orig. phrase in stead in place

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for instead

rather, alternative, preferably, alternately

Examples from the Web for instead

Contemporary Examples of instead

Instead, straighten your civic backbone and push back in clear conscience.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too
John Avlon
January 8, 2015
Instead, the man and woman in the truck wanted to know where the crash site was and whether would I show them.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods
James Higdon
January 7, 2015
Instead, spa hotels filled up with over 30,000 refugees from the war-troubled Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?
Anna Nemtsova
January 6, 2015
But this year, instead of simply voting against Boehner on Tuesday, at least two members of the group are vying to replace him.
The YOLO Caucus' New Cry for Attention
Ben Jacobs
January 4, 2015
Instead, I spend much of my time criticizing my fellow atheists.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism
Steve Neumann
January 4, 2015

Historical Examples of instead

I wish my father had intrusted his money to you instead of to the superintendent.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Instead, now we are building bonds with nations that once were our adversaries.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
Instead, it presents, what all too few of us to-day possess, a philosophy of life.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
It will only be me instead of him, and that's no difference; he belongs to me as much as I do to him.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Instead he took his lady away, and they were lost in the crowd.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden

British Dictionary definitions for instead

instead

adverb

as a replacement, substitute, or alternative
instead of (preposition) in place of or as an alternative to

Word Origin for instead

C13: from phrase in stead in place

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for instead

adv.

1590s, from Middle English ine stede (early 13c.; see stead); loan-translation of Latin in loco (French en lieu de). Still often two words until c.1640.