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• stead
  stead

  noun

  the place of a person or thing as occupied by a successor or substitute.
• Stead
  Stead

  noun

  Christina ( Ellen ). 1902–83, Australian novelist. Her works include Seven Poor Men of Sydney (1934), The Man who Loved Children (1940), and Cotters' England (1966)

stead

American  

[sted] / stɛd /

noun

1. the place of a person or thing as occupied by a successor or substitute.

   The nephew of the queen came in her stead.

2. Obsolete. a place or locality.

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verb (used with object)

1. to be of service, advantage, or avail to.

idioms

1. stand in good stead, to be useful to, especially in a critical situation.

   Your experience will stand you in good stead.

stead ¹ British  

/ stɛd /

noun

1. rare (preceded by in) the place, function, or position that should be taken by another

   to come in someone's stead

2. to be useful or of good service to (someone)

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verb

1. archaic (tr) to help or benefit

Stead ² British  

/ stɛd /

noun

1. Christina ( Ellen ). 1902–83, Australian novelist. Her works include Seven Poor Men of Sydney (1934), The Man who Loved Children (1940), and Cotters' England (1966)

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stead More Idioms  

1. see in someone's shoes (stead); stand in good stead. Also see under instead.

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Etymology

Origin of stead

before 900; (noun) Middle English, Old English stede; cognate with German Stätte place; akin to German Stadt, Old Norse stathr, Gothic staths, Greek stásis ( see stasis); (v.) Middle English steden, derivative of the noun

Explanation

Someone's stead is their position, or occupation. The eager understudy to starring role leapt at the chance to serve in the lead actor's stead when he mysteriously got food poisoning. Stead comes from the Germanic root for "place, town," but we usually use it for a person's place, and most frequently when someone is serving as a substitute. If you serve in someone's stead, you're doing their job for them while they're not there. You probably intuitively know this word from the more common instead, which is just a shortening for "in the stead of."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stead Stead

But the long history of spousal and familial succession in Congress also means we also have plenty of examples of how Graham might behave in her brother’s stead.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Instead, President Trump appeared in his stead, where he said the senator had been “like a member of the family.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

The judge appointed an attorney from the public defender's office in his stead.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

"Those experiences I have been through countless times before stand me in good stead for this moment," he added.

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026

Both men had been too old to march with Stannis; they had sent their sons and grandsons in their stead.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Coaches Martin Drury and Jon Stead took over until the close of the campaign, as Huddersfield finished ninth.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

But his old Cotswold farm buildings are now too small for modern farming, and he has let them out to Mrs Stead and several other small firms.

From BBC ● May 27, 2025

Westlake 10, Agoura 2: Noah Stead had a grand slam for Westlake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2025

Noah Stead hit a three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the seventh on March 28 for a 4-1 win over Newbury Park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025

Stead a coats though, it say something like “Drop off your old toilets at 228 Myrtle Street. We’ll be out of town, but leave them in front by the door.”

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett