instead-of

IPA/ɪnˈsted əv/
IPA/ɪnˈsted əv/

instead-of — preposition

1. used when mentioning the person, thing, or action that is replaced by another —

1.prepositionA1
Definition

used when mentioning the person, thing, or action that is replaced by another — for example, choosing tea instead of coffee, or going by bus instead of driving

Example

Vivek followed a map on his phone instead of using a paper one while hiking.

instead of + noun phrase

Instead of watching television, Mira signed up for a cooking class at the community center.

instead of + gerund at sentence start

Common collocations
  • instead of + noun
  • instead of + pronoun
  • instead of + verb-ing
Synonyms
  • in place of

    more formal and slightly less common in everyday speech

  • rather than

    focuses on a preference between two options; can be followed by a bare infinitive

  • as an alternative to

    more formal; often used in business or academic writing

Grammar Patterns

instead of + noun/pronoun

instead of + verb-ing

Usage Note

Followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form). Never followed by a bare infinitive (❌ 'instead to do' → ✅ 'instead of doing'). The phrase can appear at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

Common Mistakes

Please go instead stay.
Please go instead of staying.
'instead of' must be followed by a noun or gerund, not a bare verb.
Instead go to the park, we stayed home.
Instead of going to the park, we stayed home.
When starting a clause, use 'instead of + gerund', not bare 'instead + verb'.
He chose fish instead chicken.
He chose fish instead of chicken.
The preposition 'of' is always required after 'instead'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: preposition/1

"Instead of" is the most neutral and commonly used option for expressing replacement — it works in any register from casual conversation to formal writing. "In place of" carries a slightly more formal tone and is often used in official or procedural contexts, such as "The manager attended in place of the director." "Rather than" can compare two alternatives more broadly and allows a bare infinitive structure ("She resigned rather than accept the new conditions"), which "instead of" does not permit. "As opposed to" emphasizes contrast more strongly, highlighting differences between two options: "The new policy encourages remote work, as opposed to the old rule that required office attendance." Choosing among them depends on the degree of formality and the kind of contrast you want to draw.

instead of ↗in place of ↗rather than ↗as opposed to ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • instead of + noun phrase
  • instead of + verb-ing
  • instead of + pronoun

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'instead' comes from the Middle English phrase 'in stead', which literally meant 'in place'. The noun 'stead' goes back to Old English 'stede', meaning 'place, position, or site' — a word related to German 'Stadt' (city) and Dutch 'stad' (city). The full compound preposition 'instead of' has been in continuous written use since the early 1200s, originally written as separate words: 'in stead of'.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined above