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instance
[ in-stuhns ]
noun
- a case or occurrence of anything:
fresh instances of oppression.
- an example put forth in proof or illustration:
to cite a few instances.
- Also called in·stanced dun·geon [in, -st, uh, nst , duhn, -j, uh, n]. (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.
- Law. the institution and prosecution of a case.
- Archaic. urgency in speech or action.
- Obsolete. an impelling motive.
verb (used with object)
- to cite as an instance or example.
- to exemplify by an instance.
- (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)
- to cite an instance.
instance
/ ˈɪԲəԲ /
noun
- a case or particular example
- for instancefor or as an example
- a specified stage in proceedings; step (in the phrases in the first, second, etc, instance )
- urgent request or demand (esp in the phrase at the instance of )
- logic
- an expression derived from another by instantiation
- See substitution
- archaic.motive or reason
verb
- to cite as an example
Other Word Forms
- dzܲ·ٱ··ٲԳ noun
- ܲ··ٲԳ adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of instance1
Idioms and Phrases
- at the instance of, at the urging or suggestion of:
He applied for the assistantship at the instance of his professor.
- 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.
More idioms and phrases containing instance
see under for example .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The restrictions on the sale of key chips to China, including the most recent move tightening exports from US chip giant Nvidia, for instance, are aimed at curbing Xi's ambitions for tech supremacy.
Have there been instances in your work with birds when that quandary has presented itself?
California also has suffered losses in court, with judges in some instances allowing administration policies to take hold while the state argues for their ultimate reversal.
NHS Wales spends £1 out of every £10 they have on diabetes, for instance, yet "most Type 2 diabetes cases are preventable" with healthy eating and exercise.
However, a Home Office source said ministers would be hoping to tackle instances like that of Abdul Ezedi, who was granted asylum despite being a convicted sex offender.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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