instant

[ in-stuhnt ]

/ ˈɪn stənt /

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noun

an infinitesimal or very short space of time; a moment: They arrived not an instant too soon.

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

a particular moment: at the instant of contact.

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

Older Use. the present or current month.

adjective

succeeding without any interval of time; prompt; immediate: instant relief from a headache.

pressing or urgent: instant need.

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.

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.

designed to act or produce results quickly or immediately:an instant lottery.

Older Use. of the present month: your letter of the 12th instant.Abbreviation: inst.Compare proximo, ultimo.

present; current: the instant case before the court.

adverb

instantly.

OTHER WORDS FOR instant

1 second, twinkling, flash, jiffy, trice.

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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

synonym study for instant

1. See minute¹.

Words nearby instant

installment plan, instalment, Instamatic, instance, instancy, instant, instantaneous, instant camera, instanter, instantiate, instantiation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use instant in a sentence

Brady and some Buccaneers players signaled touchdown, and Arians tried an instant-replay challenge that failed.
Buccaneers defeat Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, 31-9, as Tom Brady claims his seventh championship|Mark Maske|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Stuffed with responsibly sourced 650-fill down, it’s super cozy and provides instant warmth when it’s five degrees on the side of a mountain.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in January|The Editors|February 3, 2021|Outside Online
They will also increasingly expect relevant experiences to modulate in real-time, with consumers receiving almost instant gratification for their data sharing.
Leveraging customer data and AI to drive ecommerce growth in 2021|Tracey Ryan O’Connor|February 1, 2021|Search Engine Watch
They can get instant answers and know precisely what their students understood and what they did not understand.
What you need to know about standardized testing|Valerie Strauss|February 1, 2021|Washington Post

When the NCAA started using a 3-point line in the 1986-87 season, it was an instant hit.
Did Moving The Arc Bring The 3-Pointer To A Breaking Point?|Jake Lourim|February 1, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Add to that the DISH Anywhere app, and you have instant access to the program guide and the ability to record shows on the go.
Four TV Shows We Can’t Wait to Return In 2015|DISH|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But in the next instant, Peters is stepping back to the table and snatching up the knife.
Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill|Michael Daly|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Having just crossed the country in coach, I needed instant spiritual repair.
Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries|Clive Irving|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The problem starts in that instant of electric mistrust when the cop reaches for his gun, or employs a homicidal chokehold.
The Only Way to End Police Violence|Michael Tomasky|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The instant you are deemed a candidate for arrest, you become not so much a person as a “perp.”
‘I Can’t Breathe!’ ‘I Can’t Breathe!’ A Moral Indictment of Cop Culture|Michael Daly|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But at the instant I caught a sight of my counterfeit presentment in a shop window, and veiled my haughty crest.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
How is it that one instant of time should work those effects in the human mind which are so lasting in their results!
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
Wharton and Louis had withdrawn their hands at the same instant they caught his eye; and the Duke turned into the circle.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Blanche stood an instant looking into the lighted room and hesitating—flushed a little, smiling, extremely pretty.
Confidence|Henry James
She saw his back for an instant against the pale gloom of the garden, in which vapour was curling.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for instant

instant

/ (ˈɪnstənt) /

noun

a very brief time; moment

a particular moment or point in timeat the same instant

on the instant immediately; without delay

adjective

immediate; instantaneous

(esp of foods) prepared or designed for preparation with very little time and effortinstant coffee

urgent or imperative

(postpositive) (when abbreviated in formal correspondence)

of the present montha letter of the 7th instant Abbreviation: inst Compare proximo, ultimo
currently under consideration

adverb

a poetic word for instantly

Word Origin for instant

C15: from Latin instāns, from instāre to be present, press closely, from in- ² + stāre to stand

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

instant

OTHER WORDS FOR instant

Origin of instant

synonym study for instant

Words nearby instant

Words related to instant

How to use instant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for instant

Word Origin for instant