Dictionary Definition
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] v :
clarify by giving an example of [syn: exemplify, illustrate]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
From instance.Pronunciation
- RP: /ˈɪnstəns/
Noun
- A happening or
occurring; an occurrence; an occasion.
- This has happened in three instances.
- 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.
- A piece of evidence; proof.
- In object-oriented programming: a created object, one that has had memory allocated for local data storage; an instantiation of a class
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
a happening or occurring, an occurrence, an
occasion
- Portuguese: ocorrência , ocasião
a case occurring, a case offered as an
exemplification, an example
Verb
References
Century 1911}}French
Etymology
- From instantia
Extensive Definition
Instantiation or instance may be
- Philosophy:
-
- A concept in Platonism, see idea
- Instantiation principle - the idea that if properties exist, the essence that "has" the properties must necessarily exist
- Universal instantiation and existential instantiation, two rules of inference in logic
- A substitution instance is a formula of mathematical logic that can be produced by substituting certain strings of symbols for others in formulas.
- An Object (computer science) is often also referred to as the instance of a Class (computer science)
- Table instance (or database instance), a concept in database design; see Row (database)
- Instance dungeon, a feature of many online games such as World of Warcraft and City of Heroes.
- The first moment of existence of a thing, whether living or not. The concept of the big bang theory, at the instant it happened, represents the instantiation of the universe.
instance in German: Instanz
instance in French: Instance
instance in Japanese: インスタンス化
instance in Norwegian: Instans
instance in Swedish: Instans
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
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