instead of
American Heritage Dictionary:
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instead of
prep.
In place of; rather than: ordered chicken instead of fish.
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms:
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instead of
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.
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Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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