instead of

1. 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.

Example Sentences

Three of them included “X” placeholders instead of specific information about locations or names or details for the arrests.

From Los Angeles Times

If law enforcement in a city with a significant population of undocumented immigrants would rather focus on catching actual criminals instead of chasing after people with no legal status, what makes ICE think they’d want to join them?

From Los Angeles Times

It would give Fox News years’ worth of material to cover, instead of the news.

From Slate

But some experts doubt that switching off mobile internet - which many Russians use instead of broadband - is an effective tool against long-distance drone attacks.

From BBC

Frost but originally read for the part of Corporal Hicks, had gotten that role instead of Michael Biehn, one of Weaver’s main co-stars.

From Salon