Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you do one thing instead of another, you do the first thing and not the second thing, as the result of a choice or a change of behaviour.
They raised prices and cut production, instead of cutting costs...
Instead of going to work thinking that it will be totally boring, try to be positive.
PREP-PHRASE: PREP n/-ing
2.
If you do not do something, but do something else instead, you do the second thing and not the first thing, as the result of a choice or a change of behaviour.
My husband asked why I couldn't just forget about dieting all the time and eat normally instead.
ADV: ADV with cl