1
—used with the infinitive form of a verb to indicate negation as a contrary choice or wish
rather than continue the argument, he walked away
chose to sing rather than play violin
2
: and not
obscures rather than resolves the problem
why do one thing rather than another?
happy rather than sad
: instead of
rather than being pleased, she was angry
Examples of rather than in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Adam Rasmi/athens, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
The film works best when trafficking in poignant subtleties that provide a cumulative tear-shedding experience rather than the overt schmaltz which occasionally appears.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
The shade our tester tried was perfect for her skin tone, mimicking the look of a shadow rather than leaning muddy or orange.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
The point of the project, said Holbert, is to one day enable the space station to 3D-print replacements for things that break on board, such a fasteners or tools, rather than having to ship them from earth.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Trump's team, like Edwards, has said the payment to Daniels was to spare his family embarrassment rather than influence the election.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
They’re crushed, rather than cut, to express and preserve their oils.
—Jaina Grey, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2024
Travel & Leisure chose to simply list its favorite beaches rather than rank them numerically.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 25 Apr. 2024
Other places have recently considered changes to restrain, rather than expand, reporting of abuse.
—Kristin Jones, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
Phillip MacIak, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2023
But others said that these technologies should be viewed as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, animal testing.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
Moving forward, however, more and more states could be legalizing through the work of their state legislatures, rather than with ballot initiatives, Armentano said.
—Matt Stiles, CNN, 7 Mar. 2023
The shooting drew criticism of the officers' willingness to use lethal force rather than de-escalating a non-violent situation.
—Ashraf Khalil, ajc, 7 Mar. 2023
Most of the time the money goes toward improving existing parks, rather than acquiring new land, Jumper said.
—Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 7 Mar. 2023
The three officials characterized the decision as driven by public health, rather than foreign policy.
—Dan Diamond, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Mar. 2023
From the start, Ronaldson foresaw Webb’s cross-continental appeal and aimed for a record deal abroad rather than signing in the United Kingdom.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2023
Clasps are steel rather than plastic, and a strong steel core is covered with a weather-resistant plastic coating to increase durability.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2023
Conjunction
Everything from paying bills to renewing a driving license can also now be done online, rather than by lining up at notoriously bureaucratic government offices.
—Adam Rasmi/athens, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
The film works best when trafficking in poignant subtleties that provide a cumulative tear-shedding experience rather than the overt schmaltz which occasionally appears.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
The shade our tester tried was perfect for her skin tone, mimicking the look of a shadow rather than leaning muddy or orange.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
The point of the project, said Holbert, is to one day enable the space station to 3D-print replacements for things that break on board, such a fasteners or tools, rather than having to ship them from earth.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Trump's team, like Edwards, has said the payment to Daniels was to spare his family embarrassment rather than influence the election.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
They’re crushed, rather than cut, to express and preserve their oils.
—Jaina Grey, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2024
Travel & Leisure chose to simply list its favorite beaches rather than rank them numerically.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 25 Apr. 2024
Other places have recently considered changes to restrain, rather than expand, reporting of abuse.
—Kristin Jones, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
Preposition
Engelhardt’s essay is a pointed exploration of the way that advertising seeps into children’s television and a critique of TV aesthetics that dull rather than enliven young minds.
—Phillip MacIak, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2023
But others said that these technologies should be viewed as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, animal testing.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2023
Moving forward, however, more and more states could be legalizing through the work of their state legislatures, rather than with ballot initiatives, Armentano said.
—Matt Stiles, CNN, 7 Mar. 2023
The shooting drew criticism of the officers' willingness to use lethal force rather than de-escalating a non-violent situation.
—Ashraf Khalil, ajc, 7 Mar. 2023
Most of the time the money goes toward improving existing parks, rather than acquiring new land, Jumper said.
—Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 7 Mar. 2023
The three officials characterized the decision as driven by public health, rather than foreign policy.
—Dan Diamond, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Mar. 2023
From the start, Ronaldson foresaw Webb’s cross-continental appeal and aimed for a record deal abroad rather than signing in the United Kingdom.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2023
Clasps are steel rather than plastic, and a strong steel core is covered with a weather-resistant plastic coating to increase durability.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rather than.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rather than
Cite this Entry
“Rather than.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rather%20than. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share