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

A spokesman for Google made clear to the BBC that the company does not control "what pages are made public on the web," saying instead that action comes from websites.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Citizenship and Immigration Services allows asylum officers to bypass the need to interview certain applicants and instead refer them directly to immigration judges for removal proceedings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

People can ask the machine to run the analysis and spend their own time asking better questions instead.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Analyst Cameron Halkett recommends that investors look past the short-term cost impacts of Pinnacle’s acquisition of Pacific Asset Management, and instead focus on underlying net profit to gauge performance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Although it is being pulled by four horses instead of the usual six, this is a New Hampshire-built Concord stagecoach, somewhere in Chile at about the time that Phineas Gage arrived there.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman