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
3.
instead of, in place of; in lieu of:
You can use milk instead of cream in this recipe.
Origin
1175-1225;Middle English; orig. phrase in stead in place
Examples from the web for instead of
instead of low-growing, dark-leaved annuals for pots.
Use instead of salt in any mixture in which soy sauce's dark color adds an interesting dimension.
instead of the ubiquitous metal bowl with last night's charred remains, imagine an artful piece crafted of metal and stone.
instead of having soft coral-pink flowers, you can have bright rosy-red ones.
Grilled instead of deep-fried, and with a trimmed-down tartar sauce.
Plus, growing your own means you can choose from dozens of varieties instead of the few that are available in markets.
The drawers below the cooktop have cutout handles instead of pulls to let air cool the hot surface.
Use thin slices of cooked polenta instead of pasta in lasagna.
But instead of having a walled-in garden, he has fireproof masonry walls throughout the garden.
instead of a traditional card, send a science valentine and let someone smart do it for you.
British Dictionary definitions for instead of
instead
/ɪnˈstɛd/
adverb
1.
as a replacement, substitute, or alternative
2.
(preposition) instead of, in place of or as an alternative to
Word Origin
C13: from phrase in stead in place
Word Origin and History for instead of
instead
adv.
1590s, from Middle English ine stede (early 13c.; see stead); loan-translation of Latin in loco (French en lieu de). Still often two words until c.1640.
Idioms and Phrases with instead of
instead of
Also, in lieu of; in place of; in someone's stead. In substitution for, rather than. For example, She wore a dress instead of slacks, or They had a soprano in lieu of a tenor, or In place of soft drinks they served fruit juice, or The chairman spoke in her stead. Instead of dates from about 1200; in lieu of, which borrows lieu, meaning “place,” from French, dates from the late 1200s; in place of dates from the 1500s; and in someone's stead from the 1200s. Also see under in someone's shoes