Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - instead

~ adv 1 instead of in place of something or someone  (We should do something instead of just talking about it. | You must have picked up my keys instead of yours. | Could I have tuna instead of ham?) 2 in place of something that has just been mentioned  (If Joe can't attend the meeting, I could go instead. | We didn't have enough money for a movie, so we went to the park instead. sentence adverb)  (Cardew did not join the navy. Instead, he decided to become an actor.)