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instead of
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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See also: in stead of
English
Alternative forms
- in stead of (archaic)
- in the stead of (chiefly formal or literary)
Etymology
From Middle English in stede of, in stude of (“instead of”, literally “in stead of, in place of”), equivalent to in + stead + of (cf. in one's stead). Cognate with Saterland Frisian insteede, ansteede (“instead of”), West Frisian ynstee (“instead of”), Dutch instede (“instead of”), German anstatt (von) (“instead of”), Danish i stedet (“instead of”).
Pronunciation
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Preposition
- In lieu of; in place of; rather than.
- He walked to school instead of taking the car.
- I wish I were rich instead of poor.
- The baby put the food on his face instead of in his mouth.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 4:16:
- And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
- 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
- Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better.
Usage notes
- Instead of is followed by a noun, pronoun or gerund; it may also be followed elliptically by a preposition, adverb, adjective or phrase.
Translations
in lieu of; in place of; rather than
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Anagrams
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