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

To write historic instead of historical may imply a greater significance than is warranted: a historical lecture may simply tell about something that happened, whereas a historic lecture would in some way change the course of human events. —Pierre Lebrun, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

The competition’s overtime rules are also slightly modified from the NHL’s regular season – instead of five minutes, overtime in round-robin games lasts 10 minutes, before a shootout if the teams cannot be separated. —Jamie Barton, CNN, 14 Feb. 2025

The presidential motorcade remained on the apron in the corners instead of taking to the high-banked turns. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 13 Feb. 2025

The most popular flavor is the caramel almond crunch, the only flavor that uses coconut palm sugar instead of cane sugar. —Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025

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