instance
Americannoun
-
instances
plural
-
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 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.
-
Law. the institution and prosecution of a case.
-
Archaic. urgency in speech or action.
-
Obsolete. an impelling motive.
verb (used with object)
-
instances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
instanced,
past participle, past
-
instancing
present participle
-
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)
-
instances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
instanced,
past participle, past
-
instancing
present participle
idioms
-
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.
noun
-
a case or particular example
-
for 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
Synonym Usage
See case 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
instancesimple
-
instancessimple
-
have instancedperfect
-
has instancedperfect
-
am instancingprogressive
-
are instancingprogressive
-
is instancingprogressive
-
have been instancingperfect progressive
-
has been instancingperfect progressive
Past
-
instancedsimple
-
had instancedperfect
-
was instancingprogressive
-
were instancingprogressive
-
had been instancingperfect progressive
Future
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”); see origin at instant, -ance
Explanation
An instance is a specific example or case of something. One instance of being chased by a growling dog can make a person spend his whole life being afraid of animals. It's common to find instance used in the expression "for instance," meaning "for example." Bright colors — for instance, pink, green, and blue — can cheer you up when you're feeling sad. Instance can also mean "occurrence." Several instances of cheating might be reported after a math test, for example. In the sixteenth century, the Medieval Latin word instantia meant "example to the contrary," leading to an early definition of instance as "single objection."
Vocabulary lists containing instance
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Commonly Confused Words, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His home being Hollywood—specifically a somewhat dank apartment, rendered in depressing detail by set designer François-Pierre Couture—Mr. Guimarães encounters qualities that are endemic to the place: for instance career envy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Hesitancy in the first instance to fight for the loose ball, weakness in the second instance when trying to prevent the cross and then defensive disorganisation and bewilderment in the end.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
For instance, Michigan has established a pilot program to place mobile health unit vans in at-risk areas.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
In another instance, a consultant flew from Washington, D.C., to Sacramento on his private jet and was reimbursed the cost of a premium flight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
For instance, if a butterfly flaps its wings, it might create just enough wind to throw off a computer’s long-range weather predictions.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
On Wednesday, OpenAI disclosed six new instances of its AI agents hiding their tracks, spoofing data and writing instructions to free themselves from constraints to escape the company’s control.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
The revelation came in a blog post late Wednesday from the AI giant, which shared what it called a “new framework for tracking, investigating and disclosing instances of model misalignment.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Such a view misunderstands what the court is up to in those rare instances when it has stood up to the president.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026
Reliable figures on the number of people fired or disciplined are hard to come by, but a Reuters tally last November found more than 600 instances.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Then, for the briefest of instances, Merriweather’s face appeared.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
As such, players can expect to wait longer than normal to log into game servers, visit new Endwalker specific areas, and experience instanced content-like duties.
From The Verge ● Nov. 30, 2021
The FX we’d used earlier were now composed of millions of these instanced pieces, and she was having a hard time loading them all because it took up so much memory.
From The Verge ● Jan. 30, 2019
World and all the other potential character builds and instanced stories in the offing.
From Time ● Sep. 11, 2012
What I have already instanced in, is, I think, sufficient with regard to the wonderful things which Mr. Campbell has performed, either by the intervention of a genius, or the power of a second-sight.
From The History of the Life and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campell A Gentlen, who, tho' Deaf and Dumb, Writes down any Stranger's name at first Sight; by Daniel Defoe
However, except of late, a precedent of this practice can hardly be instanced among the sufferers of Christ in former times, but, on the contrary, many have refused such offers.
From A Hind Let Loose Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its Periods by Alexander Shields
Landgraf supports his position by instancing similarities of expression in the Bell.
From The Student's Companion to Latin Authors by George Middleton
What arguments in regard to a nation of forty-seven millions of people can be bolstered up by instancing the imperfect acquaintance of a Japanese pastry-cook with the English language?
From The Empire of the East by H. B. (Helen Barrett) Montgomery
I speak now of no exceptional, but of general cases, instancing only the representative of the highest class of Southern men.
From Continental Monthly, Vol. III, No IV, April 1863 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various
It will suffice to adduce a proof of their moderation by instancing one matter.
From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Titus Livius
He is perhaps the same person who remarked on the late Mr. Robertson's fondness for monosyllables as titles for his plays, and after instancing Caste, Ours, and School, ended his list with Society.
From Literary Blunders by Henry Benjamin Wheatley
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.
