instant

American  

[in-stuhnt] / ˈɪn stənt /

noun

instants plural

1. an infinitesimal or very short space of time; a moment.

   They arrived not an instant too soon.

   Synonyms:

   trice, jiffy, flash, twinkling, second

2. the point of time now present or present with reference to some action or event.

3. a particular moment.

   at the instant of contact.

4. a food or beverage, especially coffee, specially processed for quick preparation.

5. Older Use. the present or current month.

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adjective

1. succeeding without any interval of time; prompt; immediate.

   instant relief from a headache.

2. pressing or urgent.

   instant need.

3. noting a food or beverage requiring a minimal amount of time and effort to prepare, as by heating or the addition of milk or water, before being served or used.

   instant coffee; instant pudding.

4. occurring, done, or prepared with a minimal amount of time and effort; produced rapidly and with little preparation.

   an instant book; instant answers; instant history.

5. designed to act or produce results quickly or immediately.

   an instant lottery.

6. Older Use. of the present month: inst.

   your letter of the 12th instant.

7. present; current.

   the instant case before the court.

adverb

1. instantly.

instant British  

/ ˈɪnstənt /

noun

1. a very brief time; moment

2. a particular moment or point in time

   at the same instant

3. immediately; without delay

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adjective

1. immediate; instantaneous

2. (esp of foods) prepared or designed for preparation with very little time and effort

   instant coffee

3. urgent or imperative

4. (postpositive)

   1.  inst.  of the present month Compare proximo ultimo

      a letter of the 7th instant

   2. currently under consideration

adverb

1. a poetic word for instantly

Synonym Usage

See minute ¹.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• instants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of instant

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin instant- (stem of instāns ), present participle of instāre “to be present, urgent,” equivalent to in- in- ² + -stā- stand + -nt- present participle suffix

Explanation

An instant is a very short time. In combinations like instant coffee and instant replay it means available right away without a wait. Instant and moment mean the same thing if you are talking about a particular time in the past like you remember the instant or moment you realized that you had won the lottery. However, the two words are very different when talking about time in the future. "I'll be there in an instant" means you're coming as quickly as possible, whereas if you say "I'll be there in a moment," someone is going to have to wait a bit for you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instant instants

Federal regulations require banks to keep a broad range of communications, including emails, phone recordings and instant messages, which can be used if necessary for compliance investigations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Although Argentina eventually edged the tie 3-2, Cabral's wonder goal became an instant classic and will always be talked about.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

It doesn’t take much to zhuzh up instant ramen into a genuinely good meal.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Financial advisers love them because they offer deferred taxation and instant diversification.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

That way she would know the instant the housekeeper returned from wherever it was she had gone.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

When analyzing spacetime, do events, instants, worldlines or even spacetime as a whole exist in the same sense as places and people?

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2025

In ECSE, scientists will take x-ray pictures of scale-model pits as they collapse and investigate how neutrons behave during those crucial instants before the nuclear detonation.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 20, 2023

There’s just no comparison, and in a way it isn’t fair to test the flavor of Cometeer against powdered instants — but we did because when it comes to add-water-and-stir coffee, it’s an option.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2023

For a few instants, I followed him somewhere else in my mind, down some duct of the imagination.

From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2022

Matthos lent him a hand to help him hack over the raiL For those few instants, Black Betba and White Hart were the calm eye in the midst of the storm.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin