Instead Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms instead American [in-sted] / ɪnˈstɛd /

adverb

1. as a substitute or replacement; in the place or stead of someone or something.

   We ordered tea but were served coffee instead.

2. in preference; as a preferred or accepted alternative.

   The city has its pleasures, but she wished instead for the quiet of country life.

idioms

1. instead of, in place of; in lieu of.

   You can use milk instead of cream in this recipe.

instead British / ɪnˈstɛd /

adverb

1. as a replacement, substitute, or alternative

2. (preposition) in place of or as an alternative to

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of instead

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; originally phrase in stead “in place”

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.

A well-designed excise tax could achieve a greater reduction in consumption at a fraction of that markup, generating revenue instead of violence.

From The Wall Street Journal

The employee-owned firm said it is instead focusing on its retail brands, John Lewis and Waitrose, to simplify its business and strengthen its balance sheet.

From BBC

The study, published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, suggests that sperm's motility levels remain consistent across different climates, instead changing with the seasons.

From BBC

Sri Lanka needed an emphatic win to stay alive but instead exited with a whimper, limping to 107-8 chasing New Zealand's 168-7.

From Barron's

My writing went faster because I started the week focused on my top-priority project, instead of fracturing my attention with emails and calls.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.