instance

American  

[in-stuhns] / ˈɪn stəns /

noun

1. a case or occurrence of anything.

   fresh instances of oppression.

2. an example put forth in proof or illustration.

   to cite a few instances.

3. Also called instanced dungeon.  (in an online multiplayer video game) a zone, as a dungeon, to which access is limited to a player or group of players entering simultaneously and working together: each instance is one copy of the zone in which the quests, enemies, items, events, etc., are staged exclusively for the player or group accessing it, without interference from other player characters in the larger online population of the game server.

4. Law. the institution and prosecution of a case.

5. Archaic. urgency in speech or action.

6. Obsolete. an impelling motive.

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verb (used with object)

instanced, instancing

1. to cite as an instance or example.

2. to exemplify by an instance.

3. (in an online multiplayer video game) to design (a zone) as a set of identical copies, staged exclusively for the player or group accessing it, without interference from the larger population of the game server, thereby presenting key narrative elements or achievements in a controlled environment.

   The game developers instanced a winter wonderland with special quests for the holiday event.

verb (used without object)

instanced, instancing

1. to cite an instance.

idioms

1. at the instance of, at the urging or suggestion of.

   He applied for the assistantship at the instance of his professor.

2. for instance, as an example; for example.

   If you were to go to Italy, for instance, you would get a different perspective on our culture.

instance British  

/ ˈɪnstəns /

noun

1. a case or particular example

2. for or as an example

3. a specified stage in proceedings; step (in the phrases in the first, second, etc, instance )

4. urgent request or demand (esp in the phrase at the instance of )

5. logic

   1. an expression derived from another by instantiation

   2. See substitution

6. archaic motive or reason

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verb

1. to cite as an example

instance More Idioms  

1. see under for example.

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Related Words

See case ¹.

Other Word Forms

• counterinstance noun
• uninstanced adjective

Etymology

Origin of instance

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English instaunce, from Middle French instance, from Medieval Latin īnstantia “case, example” ( Latin “presence, immediate applicability; earnestness, urgency”); instant, -ance

Example Sentences

It’s true he’s not in his right mind, but it’s just another instance of the casual disregard of the character’s moment-to-moment reality.

From Los Angeles Times

This is a rare instance when U.S. stock exchanges take a breather on a day that is not a federal holiday.

From MarketWatch

Programmes like the nationwide rural jobs guarantee, for instance, depend on an accurate sense of which areas are still "rural" - a category that may have shifted significantly over 15 years.

From BBC

In 2023, Donner filed a lawsuit in a Washington, D.C., court that contended his dismissal was linked to several instances in which he challenged the veracity of the network’s coverage.

From Los Angeles Times

In January, for instance, Christopher Wood, Jefferies’s global head of equity strategy, removed a 10% bitcoin allocation from his model portfolio, citing quantum concerns.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• detail
• example
• item
• occasion
• occurrence
• particular
• precedent
• proof
• reason