Sekirov Dictionary

instance

/ˈɪnstəns/

noun 11
verb 4
forms 4
phrases 1

noun11

•
an example, a single case that is given to show what something is like
- August 30, 1706, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, at the funeral of Mr. Tho. Bennet most remarkable instances of suffering
- sometimes we love those that are absent, saith Philostratus, and gives instance in his friend Athenodorus, that loved a maid at Corinth whom he never saw […]
An occasion; an order of occurrence.
•
One of a series of recurring occasions, cases, essentially the same.
- One's own death is an 'accidental' event, simply another instance of the general rule that human beings die. — 2006
•
A specific occurrence of something that is created or instantiated, such as a database, or an object of a class in object-oriented programming.
- Some compilers will allow statics to be inlined, but then incorrectly create multiple instances of the inlined variable at run-time. — 2000
•
(Internet) An independent server on a decentralised social network, such as Mastodon.
- In a poll I conducted on Mastodon, 42% of the 674 respondents said that they had reported something, whether it had been a spam account or hateful content, to their instance's moderator. — 2022
•
A dungeon or other area that is duplicated for each player, or each party of players, that enters it, so that each player or party has a private copy of the area, isolated from other players.
- As long as the most difficult instance you've tried is Gnomeregan, you're never going to be credible talking about 'difficult encounters'. — 2006
•
An individual copy of such a dungeon or other area.
- The instance is created for the group that enters it. — 2005
•
(no longer used) A token; a sign; a symptom or indication.
- It sends some precious instance of itself/ After the thing it loves. — 1599
•
(no longer used) A piece of evidence; a proof or sign (of something).
- The reason that I gather he is mad, Besides this present instance of his rage, Is a mad tale he told to day at dinner […] — 1594
•
(no longer used) Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request; insistence.
- I know one very well alied, to whom, at the instance of a brother of his[…], I spake to that purpose[…]. — 1603
•
(no longer used) That which is urgent; motive.
- The instances that second marriage move Are base respects of thrift, but none of love. — 1599

verb4

•
To mention as a case or example; to refer to.
- The reason why so many fallacious opinions have passed into proverbs is owing to that carelessness which makes the individual instance the general rule. — 1834
To cite an example as proof; to exemplify.
•
To duplicate (a dungeon or other area) for each player, or each party of players, that enters it, so that each player or party has a private copy of the area, isolated from other players.
- In these games, such as World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online, most significant PvP happens inside instanced or player-capped areas. — 2010
To render (an object) as part of a batch, using the same geometry data.

forms

instanced · instancing · instances · instanceth

Phrases with instance

instance in
To cite an instance; to adduce an example.

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