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

Kineret Kahana, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said anyone who got into difficulties should try to float instead of swim.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

When a leader wants to win instead of learn, people stop bringing real thinking to the room.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

The video from Part 1 separates into red, green and blue color components, and is inspired by Monet separating instead of mixing color.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Finding a product online instead of driving to three retailers can save an hour.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Celia lengthens her stride, so I do, too, and up we go, picking up our pace instead of slowing down.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison