for instance

1 of 2

noun

fə-ˈrin(t)-stənts 

ˈfrin(t)-

: example

I'll give you a for instance.

for instance

2 of 2

phrase

fə-ˈrin(t)-stən(t)s 

ˈfrin(t)-

: as an instance or example

older people, like my grandmother, for instance

Examples of for instance in a Sentence

Noun

Let me give you a for instance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

President Reagan, for instance, named Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982. —Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026

Tosca said city officials plan to be flexible in some situations — for instance, allowing a 100-year-old tree within five feet of a home. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026

The tony suburb of Fairfield, for instance, was sued this winter by developers who plan two separate 8-30g projects with a total of 128 units. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 11 Jan. 2026

Some other reports put the death toll from unrest much higher, with TIME citing a doctor in Tehran as saying at least 217 people had been killed, for instance. —CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above