Instead

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Instead \In*stead"\, adv. [Pref. in- + stead place.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. In the place or room; -- usually followed by of.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Let thistles grow of wheat.           --Job xxxi.


                                                    40.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of
              Joab.                                 --2 Sam. xvii.
                                                    25.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Equivalent; equal to; -- usually with of. [R.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              This very consideration to a wise man is instead of
              a thousand arguments, to satisfy him, that in those
              times no such thing was believed.     --Tillotson.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  instead
       adv 1: in place of, or as an alternative to; "Felix became a
              herpetologist instead"; "alternatively we could buy a
              used car" [syn: {alternatively}, {as an alternative},
              {or else}]
       2: on the contrary; "rather than disappoint the children, he
          did two quick tricks before he left"; "he didn't call;
          rather (or instead), he wrote her a letter"; "used English
          terms instead of Latin ones" [syn: {rather}]