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
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 May 2024
Since Becca was Jewish and therefore preferred to be buried rather than cremated per tradition, Karsh had her corpse wrapped in one of his tech company’s newest products: a shroud made from electronic mesh and sensors that composes a detailed visual map of the body.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
Today, 78% of islanders describe themselves as Taiwanese, rather than Chinese or some mix.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 20 May 2024
However, both signs are known for being impulsive and non-committal, so that can lead to an on-again, off-again dynamic rather than lasting love.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
If a political debate is your idea of a good time — rather than, say, sitting on the sugary sands of some beach watching a dappled sunset play on the water, more power to you!
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
If a passkey is not available, the center suggests using passphrases of 12 characters or more rather than shorter passwords.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2024
They’re designed to focus on serious issues rather than create a circus atmosphere.
—ABC News, 19 May 2024
But that means prices are going up less quickly rather than returning to pre-pandemic levels, and the cumulative sticker shock over the last few years still weighs on sentiment.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 May 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
If only the creators would have stuck with the quotidian tribulations that best befit Garfield rather than opting for high-stakes stunts that betray him.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 May 2024
Since Becca was Jewish and therefore preferred to be buried rather than cremated per tradition, Karsh had her corpse wrapped in one of his tech company’s newest products: a shroud made from electronic mesh and sensors that composes a detailed visual map of the body.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
Today, 78% of islanders describe themselves as Taiwanese, rather than Chinese or some mix.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 20 May 2024
However, both signs are known for being impulsive and non-committal, so that can lead to an on-again, off-again dynamic rather than lasting love.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 May 2024
If a political debate is your idea of a good time — rather than, say, sitting on the sugary sands of some beach watching a dappled sunset play on the water, more power to you!
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2024
If a passkey is not available, the center suggests using passphrases of 12 characters or more rather than shorter passwords.
—Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2024
They’re designed to focus on serious issues rather than create a circus atmosphere.
—ABC News, 19 May 2024
But that means prices are going up less quickly rather than returning to pre-pandemic levels, and the cumulative sticker shock over the last few years still weighs on sentiment.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 May 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 23 May. 2024.
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