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Unless vs Instead - What's the difference?

unless | instead |

As a conjunction unless

is except on a specified condition; if not.

As an adverb instead is

in the place of something (usually mentioned earlier); as a substitute or alternative.

unless

English

Alternative forms

* unlesse (obsolete)

Conjunction

(English Conjunctions)
  • Except on a specified condition; if not.
    • I’m leaving unless I get a pay rise (AmE: raise).
  • *
  • * 1839 , Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy Page 95
    • Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever, unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion.

    Antonyms

    * (except on a condition) if

    Derived terms

    * precisely unless * unlesss * unless and until, until and unless

    Statistics

    *

    instead

    English

    Alternative forms

    * enstead

    Adverb

    (-)
  • In the place of something (usually mentioned earlier); as a substitute or alternative.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=5 citation , passage=‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […]  But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.}}

    Synonyms

    * in lieu

    Derived terms

    * instead of

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * * *