instead
Americanadverb
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as a substitute or replacement; in the place or stead of someone or something.
We ordered tea but were served coffee instead.
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in preference; as a preferred or accepted alternative.
The city has its pleasures, but she wished instead for the quiet of country life.
idioms
adverb
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as a replacement, substitute, or alternative
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(preposition) in place of or as an alternative to
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Stanford microscope uses a related principle, but instead of relying on just two perspectives, its detector array gathers tens to hundreds of views.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
More importantly, “we have such a strong rental population,” Smith said, meaning that many people in the area rent instead of own.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Caroline Lugo instead ordered them held in lieu of $20 million bail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
He archly suggests that we adopt “botanical” instead of “astronomical” to describe mind-bogglingly large numbers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
As if the person who is telephoning me is there, instead of being miles away where I can’t see them.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
