 6 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
instance
noun
1: an occurrence of something; "it was a case of bad judgment";
"another instance occurred yesterday"; "but there is
always the famous example of the Smiths" [syn: {case}, {example}]
2: an item of information that is representative of a type;
"this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome";
"there is an example on page 10" [syn: {example}, {illustration},
{representative}]
verb: clarify by giving an example of [syn: {exemplify}, {illustrate}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Instance \In"stance\, noun [F. instance, L. instantia, fr.
instans. See {Instant}.]
1. The act or quality of being instant or pressing; urgency;
solicitation; application; suggestion; motion.
Undertook at her instance to restore them. --Sir W.
Scott.
2. That which is instant or urgent; motive. [Obs.]
The instances that second marriage move
Are base respects of thrift, but none of love.
--Shak.
3. Occasion; order of occurrence.
These seem as if, in the time of Edward I., they
were drawn up into the form of a law, in the first
instance. --Sir M. Hale.
4. That which offers itself or is offered as an illustrative
case; something cited in proof or exemplification; a case
occurring; an example; as, we could find no instance of
poisoning in the town within the past year.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
Most remarkable instances of suffering. --Atterbury.
5. A token; a sign; a symptom or indication. --Shak.
{Causes of instance}, those which proceed at the solicitation
of some party. --Hallifax.
{Court of first instance}, the court by which a case is first
tried.
{For instance}, by way of example or illustration; for
example.
{Instance Court} (Law), the Court of Admiralty acting within
its ordinary jurisdiction, as distinguished from its
action as a prize court.
Syn: Example; case. See {Example}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Instance \In"stance\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Instanced}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Instancing}.]
To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite; as, to
instance a fact. --H. Spenser.
I shall not instance an abstruse author. --Milton.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Instance \In"stance\, verb (used without an object)
To give an example. [Obs.]
This story doth not only instance in kingdoms, but in
families too. --Jer. Taylor.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
97 Moby Thesaurus words for "instance":
abetment, adduce, anatomize, article, as an example, aspect,
atomize, call to mind, case, case history, case in point,
circumstantiate, citation, cite, cite a particular, count,
cross reference, datum, demonstrate, demonstration,
descend to particulars, detail, document, element, emblem,
encouragement, enter into detail, event, example, exemplar,
exemplification, exemplify, explanation, exponent, facet, fact,
factor, for example, for instance, give a for-instance,
give full particulars, goading, ground, illustrate, illustration,
improper suggestion, incidental, indecent proposal, insistence,
item, itemize, matter, minor detail, minutia, minutiae, motion,
name, needling, object lesson, occurrence, particular,
particularize, pass, point, precedent, pressing, pressure,
pricking, prodding, proof, proposal, proposition, quotation, quote,
reason, reference, regard, relevant instance, representative,
request, resolution, respect, sample, sampling, say,
sexual advance, specify, specimen, spell out, spurring,
substantiate, suggestion, symbol, thing, type, typical example,
urging
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
instance
An individual {object} of a certain {class}.
While a class is just the type definition, an actual usage of
a class is called "instance". Each instance of a class can
have different values for its {instance variables}, i.e. its
{state}.
(1998-03-06)
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