"rather than" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "rather than",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Coordinator"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "coordinator"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "conj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We're going to do it sooner rather than later."
        },
        {
          "text": "People who learn languages quickly are the exception rather than the rule."
        },
        {
          "text": "This change will increase rather than decrease their chances."
        },
        {
          "text": "She insisted on having the room papered rather than painted."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "You use rather than to connect two things when only one is true, preferred, or appropriate."
      ],
      "id": "simple-rather_than-en-conj-j~HLr4TG"
    }
  ],
  "word": "rather than"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "rather than",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Expression"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "expression"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Rather than you do the job, I'd prefer to finish it myself."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than sell the painting, Tim preferred to destroy it."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than engage in a long report over the telephone, I had invited him to lunch with me at home on this quiet Sunday."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than that should happen, he would give up his job."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than going directly home, she had turned walking into the afternoon thickness of downtown."
        },
        {
          "text": "She made students think for themselves, rather than telling them what to think."
        },
        {
          "text": "Bryson decided to quit rather than accept the new rules."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In preference to; instead of."
      ],
      "id": "simple-rather_than-en-phrase-d2g7NvLn"
    }
  ],
  "word": "rather than"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "rather than",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Coordinator"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "coordinator"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "conj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We're going to do it sooner rather than later."
        },
        {
          "text": "People who learn languages quickly are the exception rather than the rule."
        },
        {
          "text": "This change will increase rather than decrease their chances."
        },
        {
          "text": "She insisted on having the room papered rather than painted."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "You use rather than to connect two things when only one is true, preferred, or appropriate."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "rather than"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "rather than",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Expression"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "expression"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Rather than you do the job, I'd prefer to finish it myself."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than sell the painting, Tim preferred to destroy it."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than engage in a long report over the telephone, I had invited him to lunch with me at home on this quiet Sunday."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than that should happen, he would give up his job."
        },
        {
          "text": "Rather than going directly home, she had turned walking into the afternoon thickness of downtown."
        },
        {
          "text": "She made students think for themselves, rather than telling them what to think."
        },
        {
          "text": "Bryson decided to quit rather than accept the new rules."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In preference to; instead of."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "rather than"
}