instead of

preposition

in·​stead of in-ˈste-də(v) 

-ˈsti-

: in place of : as a substitute for or alternative to

chose tea instead of coffee

Examples of instead of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The money goes to parents, who get to make a decision on where to spend it instead of state government directly paying the private schools themselves. —Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Sep. 2024

But instead of the bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning of Friday’s game against the Oakland Athletics, Vaughn remained in the box when plate umpire Brian Walsh called a strike on a 3-0 pitch that, according to MLB Statcast, missed high. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2024

But the dream was crushed on Thursday’s live eviction episode when the 25-year-old nurse recruiter from Omaha was voted out 4-2 by his housemates instead of Kimo Apaka. —EW.com, 13 Sep. 2024

Either way, most agents work remotely instead of reporting to a physical office. —Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English in sted of

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

instead of

preposition

in-ˌsted-ə(v),

-ˌstid-

: in place of : as a substitute for

had milk instead of juice