instance

[in-stuhns]

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.

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.

instance

/ 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

verb

1. to cite as an example

Other Word Forms

• counterinstance noun
• uninstanced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of instance¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of instance¹

C14 (in the sense: case, example): from Medieval Latin instantia example, (in the sense: urgency) from Latin: a being close upon, presence, from instāns pressing upon, urgent; see _instant

Idioms and Phrases

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.

see under for example.

Synonym Study

See case ¹.

Example Sentences

For instance, investors have worried about the margin profiles of Oracle’s AI cloud deals.

Read more on MarketWatch

In some instances, car owners chose to smash the windows to let them out.

Read more on BBC

Home policies, for instance, generally only cover specific “perils” and often exclude damage from floods, landslides, pests and mold.

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The actual rate is likely far higher, as crews don’t always report incidents to their airlines, which likewise don’t report all instances to the FAA.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

For instance, two players can look like statistical fits but not get along with each other as individuals.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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