ns]
noun, verb, -stanced, -stanc⋅ing.| 1. | a case or occurrence of anything: fresh instances of oppression. |
| 2. | an example put forth in proof or illustration: to cite a few instances. |
| 3. | Law. the institution and prosecution of a case. |
| 4. | Archaic. urgency in speech or action. |
| 5. | Obsolete. an impelling motive. |
| 6. | to cite as an instance or example. |
| 7. | to exemplify by an instance. |
| 8. | to cite an instance. |
| 9. | at the instance of, at the urging or suggestion of: He applied for the assistantship at the instance of his professor. |
| 10. | for instance, as an example; for example: If you were to go to Italy, for instance, you would get a different perspective on our culture. |
in·stance (ĭn'stəns) n.
[Middle English instaunce, from Old French instance, request, instant, and from Medieval Latin īnstantia, example, both from Latin, presence, from īnstāns, īnstant-, present; see instant.] |
instance programming
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)