in one's stead

• in the stead of (one)

From Middle English in ones stede, equivalent to in + one’s + stead (“function or position of someone or something, as taken on by a successor; (obsolete) place, spot”).^[1]

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ɪn wʌns ˈstɛd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛd

in one's stead

1. (chiefly formal or literary) In place of someone or something. [from ca. 1230]
   1. As a successor to someone or something.
      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Chronicles 36:1, column 2:

        Then the people of the land tooke Jehoahaz the ſon of Joſiah, and made him King in his fathers ſtead in Ieruſalem.

   2. Instead of or rather than someone or something.

      Synonym: in lieu of

      • 1676, [Matthew Hale], “Of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified”, in Contemplations Moral and Divine. […], London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbury […], and John Leigh […], →OCLC, page 229:

        Bleſſed Lord [Jesus], they crucifie thee for all thy good vvorks: if thou hadſt been guilty, poſſibly thou mighteſt have been ſpared in the stead of Barabbas; […]

      • 1729, [Alexander Pope], “Book the Second”, in The Dunciad. With Notes Variorum, and the Prolegomena of Scriblerus, London: […] Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 88:

        [W]henever any vvord doth not fully content us, vve take upon us to conclude, firſt that the author could never have us'd it, and ſecondly, that he muſt have uſed that very one vvhich vve conjecture, in its ſtead.

      • 1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London: […] J[ohn] Wright for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 15, lines 292–293:

        A Laſh like mine no honeſt man ſhall dread, / But all ſuch babling blockheads in his ſtead.

      • 1785, William Cowper, “Book III. The Garden.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson;  […], →OCLC, page 130:

        Dovvn falls the venerable pile, th' abode / Of our forefathers, a grave vvhiſker'd race, / But taſteleſs. Springs a palace in its ſtead, / But in a diſtant ſpot; […]

      • 1813, Walter Scott, “Canto First”, in Rokeby; a Poem, Edinburgh: […] [F]or John Ballantyne and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; by James Ballantyne and Co., […], →OCLC, stanza III, page 7:

        Features convulsed and mutterings dread, / Show terror reigns in sorrow's stead; […]

      • 1851, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Golden Legend, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC, page 62:

        Some maiden, of her own accord, / Offers her life for that of her lord, / And is willing to die in his stead.

      • 1871, Charlotte M[ary] Yonge, “Cameo VIII. The Decline of the English Power.”, in Cameos from English History: The Wars in France. […] Second Series, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 103:

        "A poor knight-bachelor, without birth or fortune, was not fit," he [Bertrand du Guesclin] said, "to lead the lords of France;" and he begged the King to choose, in his stead, one of the numerous royal princes who surrounded him; but Charles [i.e., Charles V of France, then Dauphin] persisted, and solemnly presented him with the sword, the token of his office.

      • 2019 October, Tony Miles, Philip Sherratt, “EMR Kicks Off New Era”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 58:

        In December 2020 the Matlock branch services, which currently run through to Newark, will be cut back to Nottingham, but in their stead EMR will extend the hourly Crewe to Derby service through to Newark Castle.

   3. (archaic) As a person's deputy or representative.

      Synonym: in lieu of

      • 1560, [William Whittingham et al., transl.], The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: […] Rouland Hall, →OCLC, Genesis XXX:2, folio 13, verso, column 2:

        Thẽ [then] Iaakobs angre vvas kindeled againſt Rahél, and he ſaid, Am I in Gods ſtede, vvhich hathe vvithholden frõ [from] thee the frute of the vvombe?

   4. (obsolete) As replacement for someone or something in a physical place.
      • 1676, [Matthew Hale], “Of the Knowledge of Christ Crucified”, in Contemplations Moral and Divine. […], London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbury […], and John Leigh […], →OCLC, page 213:

        Didſt thou [Jesus] not chooſe even that vvhich thou novv groaneſt under; and vvert vvilling to put thy Soul in our Souls ſtead, and bear the ſin of thoſe vvhich are novv thy burden?

      • 1822, [Walter Scott], chapter XIII, in Peveril of the Peak. […], volume IV, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 310:

        Examined after her own fashion, Zarah confirmed the tale of Christian in all its points, and admitted that she had deranged the project laid for a mask, by placing the dwarf in her own stead; […]

• in good stead