instantiation

English

Etymology

20th-century coinage from instantiate +‎ -ion, itself coined 1946 from instance +‎ -ate. The latter, in the sense "a case, an example", from Middle English instance, from Medieval Latin īnstantia (“a being near, presence; also perseverance, earnestness, importunity, urgency”), from Latin īnstāns (“urgent”); see English instant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˌstænʃiˈeɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

instantiation (countable and uncountable, plural instantiations)

1. (uncountable) The production of an instance, example, or specific application of a general classification, principle, theory, etc.
2. (countable) Something resulting from the act of instantiating; an instance.
   • 2019, Chigozie Obioma, An Orchestra of Minorities, Abacus (2019), page 150:

     I can name numerous instantiations of this gift of luck at work in my hostʼs life.

3. (by extension, object-oriented programming) Creation of an instance of some class or template.

Coordinate terms

• avatar
• embodiment
• incarnation
• realization

Derived terms

• coinstantiation
• existential instantiation
• reinstantiation

Related terms

• coinstantial
• coinstantiate
• instance
• instancy
• instant
• instantaneous
• instantial
• instantiate
• reinstantiate

Translations

something resulting from the act of instantiating

• French: instanciation (fr) f
• German: Instanziierung f
• Icelandic: eintekning f, eintökun f
• Swedish: instansiering c
• Turkish: örnekleme (tr)

Further reading

• “instantiation”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.