Main Entry: ¹in·stance

Pronunciation: \ˈin(t)-stən(t)s\

Function: noun

Date: 14th century

1 a archaic : urgent or earnest solicitation b : instigation, request <am writing to you at the instance of my client> c obsolete : an impelling cause or motive
2 a archaic : exception b : an individual illustrative of a category or brought forward in support or disproof of a generalization c obsolete : token, sign
3 : the institution and prosecution of a lawsuit : suit
4 : a step, stage, or situation viewed as part of a process or series of events <prefers, in this instance, to remain anonymous — Times Literary Supplement>

— for instance \fə-ˈrin(t)-stən(t)s, ˈfrin(t)-\ : as an instance or example <older people, like my grandmother, for instance>

synonyms instance, case, illustration, example, sample, specimen mean something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category. instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain <an instance of history repeating itself>. case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with <a case of mistaken identity>. illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement <a telling illustration of Murphy's Law>. example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case <a typical example of bureaucratic waste>. sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities <show us a sample of your work>. specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available <one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art>.