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.
Cast instead as a one-off reaction, it carries less of a signal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
However Glasgow-born Shanahan turned down the offer of sunshine in Mallorca, choosing instead to focus on her sport at the Tollcross swimming centre.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lee asserts that the recent poor reactions to earnings beats by technology companies don’t reflect that profit prospects are priced in, but instead that the broader market is merely enduring a period of nervousness.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The new technique instead identifies chirality directly through ion signals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
And if Trey had been with me instead of Ethan .
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions 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.
