instance

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Derived terms 1.3.2 Related terms 1.3.3 Translations 1.3.3.1 See also 1.4 Verb 1.5 References 2 French 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Pronunciation 2.3 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

< Middle English instance < Old French instance < Latin instantia (“‘a being near, presence, also perseverance, earnestness, importunity, urgency’”) < instans (“‘urgent’”); see instant.

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɪnstəns/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

instance (plural instances)

1. A happening or occurring; an occurrence; an occasion.

   This has happened in three instances.

2. A case occurring; a case offered as an exemplification or a precedent; an example; a token.

   It was the only instance in which a direct copy, even to matters of detail, appeared to have been made.

3. (obsolete) A piece of evidence; proof.
4. (computing) In object-oriented programming: a created object, one that has had memory allocated for local data storage; an instantiation of a class

[edit] Derived terms

• at the instance of
• in the first instance
• in this instance
• for instance

[edit] Related terms

• instancy
• instant
• instantaneous
• instantial
• instantiate
• instantly

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• (computing) closure, class, object

[edit] Verb

to instance (third-person singular simple present instances, present participle instancing, simple past and past participle instanced)

1. (transitive) To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite; as, to instance a fact.
2. (intransitive) To cite an example as proof; to exemplify.

[edit] References

• instance in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• instance in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

---

[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

1. From Latin instantia
2. (computing) From English instance.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɛ̃s.tɑ̃s/
•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

instance f. (plural instances)

1. pressing solicitation
2. prosecution
3. (computing, fr) instance