in·stance
ˈin(t)-stən(t)s 
1
: a step, stage, or situation viewed as part of a process or series of events
prefers, in this instance, to remain anonymous—
The Times Literary Supplement (London)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)2
: the institution and prosecution of a lawsuit : suit
3
4
a
: instigation, request
am writing to you at the instance of my client
b
archaic
: urgent or earnest solicitation
c
obsolete
: an impelling cause or motive
instanced; instancing
1
: to illustrate or demonstrate by an instance
2
: to mention as a case or example : cite
Phrases
for instance
\
fə-ˈrin(t)-stən(t)s 
, ˈfrin(t)-
\
: as an instance or example
older people, like my grandmother, for instance
Synonyms
Examples of instance in a Sentence
Noun
an instance of great courage
These delays are just another instance of bureaucratic inefficiency.
In most instances the disease can be controlled by medication.
They have decided not to oppose the decision in this instance.
Verb
instanced one particular incident as an illustration of their penchant for practical jokes
instanced the latest astronomical research in her presentation on measuring star magnitude
Recent Examples on the WebKaren Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2024
However, Ryan couldn’t point to specific instances of U.S. user data being shared across these systems, which included Atlassian’s Jira product management software and Asana, used for tracking the status of tasks assigned to workers and for project management.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Apr. 2024
The Anti-Defamation League tracked 163 antisemitic incidents in Arizona in 2023, a sharp spike from 53 such instances in the state only the year before.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2024
Most of the anti-corruption campaign has been happening outside of public view, except for the rare instances when a high-raking official, like the governor of Cienfuegos, had to be replaced.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
But, as highlighted by CNN, current legislation does not require the cruise lines and US Coast Guard to report more minor instances of theft.
—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2024
In another troubling instance, someone fired at Caltrans contractors who had stopped traffic for a project in June 2023 on Interstate 80 in Berkeley.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2024
On the one hand, shareholders have flagged some instances of CEO pay being too high.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 29 Apr. 2024
Many of the specific instances of abuse outlined in Fay's report were inflicted on Iraqi police officers who were thought to have been involved in smuggling a gun into the prison.
—Matthew Barakat, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
Liza Foreman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2023
But there’s been plenty of room for errors and hallucinations, instances when chatbots like ChatGPT have concocted inaccurate—and sometimes worrying—answers to questions.
—Joseph Abrams, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023
For, instance the home to the putting surface of the fifth and 13th holes is 100 yards deep and at least 50 yards wide.
—Steve Dimeglio, USA TODAY, 9 July 2022
Noun
With biennial screening between the ages of 40 and 74, there will be about 1,376 false-positive results per 1,000 women over their lifetimes, along with 14 instances of doctors finding and treating early-stage tumors that might never have become dangerous if left alone.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2024
However, Ryan couldn’t point to specific instances of U.S. user data being shared across these systems, which included Atlassian’s Jira product management software and Asana, used for tracking the status of tasks assigned to workers and for project management.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Apr. 2024
The Anti-Defamation League tracked 163 antisemitic incidents in Arizona in 2023, a sharp spike from 53 such instances in the state only the year before.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 29 Apr. 2024
Most of the anti-corruption campaign has been happening outside of public view, except for the rare instances when a high-raking official, like the governor of Cienfuegos, had to be replaced.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2024
But, as highlighted by CNN, current legislation does not require the cruise lines and US Coast Guard to report more minor instances of theft.
—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2024
In another troubling instance, someone fired at Caltrans contractors who had stopped traffic for a project in June 2023 on Interstate 80 in Berkeley.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2024
On the one hand, shareholders have flagged some instances of CEO pay being too high.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 29 Apr. 2024
Many of the specific instances of abuse outlined in Fay's report were inflicted on Iraqi police officers who were thought to have been involved in smuggling a gun into the prison.
—Matthew Barakat, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
Verb
Topics under discussion included changes in the industry over the last decade, instanced by the rise of digital and gaming, audience fragmentation, and the emergence of disruptive technologies such as AI.
—Liza Foreman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2023
But there’s been plenty of room for errors and hallucinations, instances when chatbots like ChatGPT have concocted inaccurate—and sometimes worrying—answers to questions.
—Joseph Abrams, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023
For, instance the home to the putting surface of the fifth and 13th holes is 100 yards deep and at least 50 yards wide.
—Steve Dimeglio, USA TODAY, 9 July 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near instance
Cite this Entry
“Instance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instance. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instance
1 of 2 noun
in·stance
ˈin(t)-stən(t)s
1
: request entry 1 sense 1
entered the writing contest at the instance of her teacher
2
: example sense 3
an instance of rare courage
3
: a particular point or step in an action or process
in the first instance
Legal Definition
instance
noun
in·stance
ˈin-stəns
: the institution or prosecution of a lawsuit
a court of first instance
Etymology
Noun
French, from Late Latin instantia, from Latin, the fact of being present or impending, vehemence in speech, urgency, from instant-, instans insistent, pressing, from present participle of instare to be pressing, stand upon
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