instance

The word “instance” means a particular example or occurrence of something. In plain terms, a specific example or occurrence of something — used both in everyday speech and, more technically, in computing.

“Instance” is pronounced IHNS-tuhns (/ˈɪnstəns/ in IPA).

Here is “instance” used in a sentence: “This is just one instance of the same problem happening across the company.”

The opposite of “instance” — its antonyms — is noninstance.

Depending on how it is used, “instance” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “instance” comes from Latin. From Latin instantia ("presence, urgency"), from instans ("urgent, pressing").

“Instance” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Instance” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a particular example or occurrence of something.

The two overlap heavily and are often interchangeable. An example is something chosen to illustrate a general rule or type. An instance stresses that a single case actually occurred — one specific time something happened. You give an example to explain a point, but you cite an instance to prove something took place.

They look alike but mean different things. An instance is a particular case or occurrence of something. An instant is an extremely short moment of time. The confusion is easy because both come from the same Latin root, yet in modern English an instance is an example while an instant is a split second.

"For instance" is a common phrase meaning "for example." You use it to introduce a specific case that illustrates a broader point, as in "Many fruits are rich in vitamin C — oranges, for instance." It is interchangeable with "for example" in almost every everyday context, spoken or written.

If a shop reports three instances of shoplifting in one week, each separate event is an instance. Likewise, a single time a word appears in a book is one instance of that word. The term simply points to one concrete occurrence out of many possible ones.