Instances

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɪnstənsɪz/

Definitions

1. Occurrences of particular events or situations that arise at designated times or places
2. Specific events, situations, or instances that happen or appear at certain times or locations
3. Individual moments or examples when something takes place or is observed

Etymology: "Instances" is the plural of "instance," which English borrowed from Middle French "instance," itself from Latin "instantia," meaning a being near, presence, or urgency. The Latin root "instans" meant "urgent" or "pressing," from the verb "instare," to stand upon or press upon. The "instant" meaning of a moment comes from the same root, since a moment is a pressing, present point in time. The Latin sense of pressing and urgency gave English its legal use: an "instance" was once a formal request or urgent petition, a sense that survives in phrases like "at the instance of" someone. From there the word moved toward the idea of a case or example that presses itself on the mind as evidence. The plural form, as used for occurrences of events arising at designated times or places, reflects the later sense of a particular case or example.

Synonyms: examples, cases, occurrences, illustrations, demonstrations

Antonyms: abstractions, generalities, theories, concepts, negations