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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

When the nefarious Pilkington Industries repossesses Manor Farm after a failure to make payments, the animals inhabiting the stead are nearly trucked off to their demise.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

Another man shouted on the phone, exhorting a family member to leave and that he would go in and take his stead.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Some of them were dead, and their families answered the questionnaires about past glyphosate exposure in their stead.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

One of Rosenior's most striking achievements with Strasbourg has been guiding them into the top reaches of Ligue 1 while fielding a team of youngsters, something which would stand him in good stead with Chelsea.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

"The Magister begs your kind indulgence for sending us in his stead, but he cannot sit a horse as he did in his youth, and sea travel upsets his digestion."

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin