instead of

instead of

prep.

In place of; rather than: ordered chicken instead of fish.

conj.

Rather than.

Usage Note: Traditionally, instead of is a preposition used like rather than, and the two constructions are often used interchangeably: We had spaghetti instead of (or rather than) pizza. The constructions are frequently used with participles in comparisons in which the alternate entity is a main verb: Instead of (or rather than) taking the bus, we walked to the theater. Rather than has a further use as a conjunction when the comparison is of one main verb with another: We took the bus rather than walk. In these constructions, instead of is sometimes used as well—something that, under the word's traditional categorization as a preposition, would seem a grammatical error. But in our 2005 survey, 63 percent of the Usage Panel allowed the sentence We would have liked to buy instead of rent, but prices were just too high. Writers should bear in mind, however, that this use of instead of is somewhat informal.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

instead

– instead of

1. 'instead'

Instead is an adverb. You use it when saying what someone does rather than doing something else.

Hema did not answer. Instead she looked out of the taxi window.

I felt like crying, but I managed to smile instead.

2. 'instead of'

Instead of is a preposition. You use it to introduce something that is not done, not used, or not true, in contrast to something that is done, is used, or is true.

Why not use your bike to get to work instead of your car?

You can have rice instead of potatoes.

You can say that someone does something instead of doing something else.

You could always go camping instead of staying in a hotel.

Why don't you help, instead of standing there and watching?

Be Careful!
Don't say that someone does something 'instead to do' something else.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

Translations

بدلا منبَدَلَاً مِنْ

místo

i stedet for

stattan Stelle vonanstattanstelle von

αντί

en vez deen lugar depor

jonkin sijaansen sijaan että

au lieu deà la place

umjesto

helyett: valami helyett

í staîinn fyrir

invece dianziché

･･･の代わりに

...대신에

in plaats van

i stedet for

w zamian zazamiast

ao invés deem vez de

вместочем

i stället för

แทนที่จะ

-in yerineyerine

thay vì

代替而不是...

instead

(inˈsted) adverb

as a substitute; in place of something or someone. I don't like coffee. Could I please have tea instead? in stede van بَدلا من в замяна em vez de místo toho statt dessen i stedet στη θέση του, αντ' αυτού en su lugar, en cambio selle asemel در عوض؛ به جای sen sijaan à la placeבמקום के बदले में umjesto helyette; inkább sebagai gantinya í staðinn invece, piuttosto その代わり 그 대신에 vietoj (ko) vietā sebagai ganti in plaats ervan i stedetzamiast پرځاى، په عوض، په بدل em vez de în loc, în schimb вместо, взамен namiesto toho namesto tega umesto i stället แทน yerine 代替 замість кого, чого بجائے thay vì 代替

instead of

in place of. Please take me instead of him; You should have been working instead of watching television. in plaas van بدلا من вместо em vez de místo statt i stedet for αντί για en vez de (kellegi, millegi) asemel به جای asemesta à la place, au lieu deבמקום के स्थान पर umjesto vmi helyett bukannya í staðinn fyrir invece di, al posto di ～の代わりに ...대신에 vietoj vietā daripada in plaats vani stedet forzamiast پرځاى em vez de în locul; în loc să вместо, взамен namiesto namesto umesto i stället för แทนที่ ...-in yerine 代替… замість кого, чого کی جگہ thay vì 代替

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

instead of

→ بَدَلَاً مِنْ místo i stedet for statt αντί en vez de jonkin sijaan au lieu de umjesto invece di ･･･の代わりに ...대신에 in plaats van i stedet for w zamian za em vez de вместо i stället för แทนที่จะ yerine thay vì 而不是...

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009