instantiation

British  

/ ɪnˌstænʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of instantiating

2. the representation of (an abstraction) by a concrete example

3. logic

   1. the process of deriving an individual statement from a general one by replacing the variable with a name or other referring expression

   2. the valid inference of an instance from a universally quantified statement, as David is rational from all men are rational

   3. a statement so derived

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Explanation

Instantiation is when you give a specific example to clarify an idea or opinion. The perfect instantiation of your uncle's love of dogs is the fact that seven Great Danes live in his house with him. Instantiation, most simply understood to mean "exemplification," or "the ideal example or representation," is also a more complicated philosophical idea. The "instantiation principle" is essentially the concept that a characteristic or property can't exist unless you can point to a real-world instance of it. And in computing, instantiation is the act of creating a named object in a particular programming language. In everyday use, you might say your lovely new shirt is the instantiation of your sister's sewing ability.

Example Sentences

"Our study suggests strategies that might well be much broader than the instantiation we have focused on."

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

For Lovell and Drucker, “The Stroll” is an instantiation of their own interest in making queer and, specifically, trans histories visible.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2023

Her emergence in this very moment is the instantiation of our ability to press on.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2021

The writ of habeas corpus is the most famous instantiation of this value in the Anglo-American tradition, with medieval roots that early modern, proto-liberal Whigs exaggerated into a full-blown centuries-old legal rule.

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2018

The method of an image is an experience, not a grammar applied to a repertory, or the instantiation of rules of grammar.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai