What does "instance" mean?
Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request; insistence.
Instance
/ˈɪnstəns/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request; insistence.
- Grammar: instance is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: case, example, illustration, abetment.
- Useful contrasts: most linguistic concept, class, class construct.
- Usage evidence: Japan is full of beautiful cities. Kyoto and Nara, for instance.
How to use "instance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "instance" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "instance" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "instance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "instance" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "instance" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "case" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "instance", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request; insistence. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"I know one very well alied, to whom, at the instance of a brother of his[…], I spake to that purpose[…]."
- 2 an item of information that is typical of a class or group wordnet
- 3 A token; a sign; a symptom or indication. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"It sends some precious instance of itself/ After the thing it loves."
- 4 an occurrence of something wordnet
- 5 That which is urgent; motive. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"The instances that second marriage move Are base respects of thrift, but none of love."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A piece of evidence; a proof or sign (of something). countable, obsolete, uncountable
"The reason that I gather he is mad, Besides this present instance of his rage, Is a mad tale he told to day at dinner […]"
- 7 An occasion; an order of occurrence. countable, uncountable
"The Statutes, or Acts of Parliament themſelves. Theſe ſeem, as if in the Time of Edw[ard] I. they were drawn up into the Form of a Law in the firſt Inſtance, and ſo aſſented to by both Houſes, and the King, as may appear by the very Obſervation of the Contexture and Fabrick of the Statutes of thoſe Times."
- 8 A case offered as an exemplification or a precedent; an illustrative example. countable, uncountable
"August 30, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at the funeral of Mr. Tho. Bennet most remarkable instances of suffering"
- 9 One of a series of recurring occasions, cases, essentially the same. countable, uncountable
"One's own death is an 'accidental' event, simply another instance of the general rule that human beings die."
- 10 A specific occurrence of something that is created or instantiated, such as a database, or an object of a class in object-oriented programming. countable, uncountable
"Some compilers will allow statics to be inlined, but then incorrectly create multiple instances of the inlined variable at run-time."
- 11 A dungeon or other area that is duplicated for each player, or each party of players, that enters it, so that each player or party has a private copy of the area, isolated from other players. countable, uncountable
"As long as the most difficult instance you've tried is Gnomeregan, you're never going to be credible talking about 'difficult encounters'."
- 12 An individual copy of such a dungeon or other area. countable, uncountable
"The instance is created for the group that enters it."
- 13 An independent server on a decentralised social network, such as Mastodon. Internet, countable, uncountable
"To collect the messages, we select the mstdn.jp as the target instance. The mstdn.jp is one of the major Mastodon instances that has 123,331 users and connects to the 2415 other instances at 26 Feb 2017."
Verb
- 1 To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite transitive
"The reason why so many fallacious opinions have passed into proverbs is owing to that carelessness which makes the individual instance the general rule."
- 2 clarify by giving an example of wordnet
- 3 To cite an example as proof; to exemplify. intransitive
- 4 To duplicate (a dungeon or other area) for each player, or each party of players, that enters it, so that each player or party has a private copy of the area, isolated from other players.
"In these games, such as World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online, most significant PvP happens inside instanced or player-capped areas."
- 5 To render (an object) as part of a batch, using the same geometry data. transitive
Example
"Japan is full of beautiful cities. Kyoto and Nara, for instance."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "instance"?
Common synonyms include: case, example, illustration, abetment, acquiescing, adduce.
How do you use "instance" in a sentence?
Japan is full of beautiful cities. Kyoto and Nara, for instance.
How do you pronounce "instance"?
Pronounced /ˈɪnstəns/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French instance, from Latin īnstantia (“a being near, presence, also perseverance, earnestness, importunity, urgency”), from īnstāns (“urgent”); see instant.