instance

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=stance
• COUNT in NET: 1 in 1 verses (in NT : 1 in 1 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

instance, n. [F. instance, L. instantia, fr. instans. See Instant.].

•  The act or quality of being instant or pressing; urgency; solicitation; application; suggestion; motion.  [1913 Webster]

  "Undertook at her instance to restore them."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is instant or urgent; motive.  [1913 Webster]

  "The instances that second marriage move
  Are base respects of thrift, but none of love."  [1913 Webster]
•  Occasion; order of occurrence.  [1913 Webster]

  "These seem as if, in the time of Edward I., they were drawn up into the form of a law, in the first instance."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which offers itself or is offered as an illustrative case; something cited in proof or exemplification; a case occurring; an example; as, we could find no instance of poisoning in the town within the past year.  [1913 Webster]

  "Most remarkable instances of suffering."  [1913 Webster]
•  A token; a sign; a symptom or indication.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

Causes of instance, those which proceed at the solicitation of some party. Hallifax. -- Court of first instance, the court by which a case is first tried. -- For instance, by way of example or illustration; for example. -- Instance Court (Law), the Court of Admiralty acting within its ordinary jurisdiction, as distinguished from its action as a prize court.

Syn. -- Example; case. See Example.

instance, v. t. 

 To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite; as, to instance a fact.  H. Spenser.  [1913 Webster]
"I shall not instance an abstruse author."  [1913 Webster]

instance, v. i. 

 To give an example.  [1913 Webster]
"This story doth not only instance in kingdoms, but in families too."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

instance, n. & v.
--n.
1 an example or illustration of (just another instance of his lack of determination).
2 a particular case (that's not true in this instance).
3 Law a legal suit.
--v.tr. cite (a fact, case, etc.) as an instance.

Idiom

at the instance of at the request or suggestion of. court of first instance Law a court of primary jurisdiction. for instance as an example. in the first (or second etc.) instance in the first (or second etc.) place; at the first (or second etc.) stage of a proceeding.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L instantia (as INSTANT)

THESAURUS

instance

abetment, adduce, anatomize, article, as an example, aspect, atomize, call to mind, case, case history, case in point, circumstantiate, citation, cite, cite a particular, count, cross reference, datum, demonstrate, demonstration, descend to particulars, detail, document, element, emblem, encouragement, enter into detail, event, example, exemplar, exemplification, exemplify, explanation, exponent, facet, fact, factor, for example, for instance, give a for-instance, give full particulars, goading, ground, illustrate, illustration, improper suggestion, incidental, indecent proposal, insistence, item, itemize, matter, minor detail, minutia, minutiae, motion, name, needling, object lesson, occurrence, particular, particularize, pass, point, precedent, pressing, pressure, pricking, prodding, proof, proposal, proposition, quotation, quote, reason, reference, regard, relevant instance, representative, request, resolution, respect, sample, sampling, say, sexual advance, specify, specimen, spell out, spurring, substantiate, suggestion, symbol, thing, type, typical example, urging

ROGET THESAURUS

instance

Motive

N motive, springs of action, wellsprings of action, reason, ground, call, principle, by end, by purpose, mainspring, primum mobile, keystone, the why and the wherefore, pro and con, reason why, secret motive, arriere pensee, intention, inducement, consideration, attraction, loadstone, magnet, magnetism, magnetic force, allectation, allective, temptation, enticement, agacerie, allurement, witchery, bewitchment, bewitchery, charm, spell, fascination, blandishment, cajolery, seduction, seducement, honeyed words, voice of the tempter, song of the Sirens forbidden fruit, golden apple, persuasibility, persuasibleness, attractability, impressibility, susceptibility, softness, persuasiveness, attractiveness, tantalization, influence, prompting, dictate, instance, impulse, impulsion, incitement, incitation, press, instigation, provocation, inspiration, persuasion, suasion, encouragement, advocacy, exhortation, advice, solicitation, lobbyism, pull, incentive, stimulus, spur, fillip, whip, goad, ankus, rowel, provocative, whet, dram, bribe, lure, decoy, decoy duck, bait, trail of a red herring, bribery and corruption, sop, sop for Cerberus, prompter, tempter, seducer, seductor, instigator, firebrand, incendiary, Siren, Circe, agent provocateur, lobbyist, impulsive, motive, suasive, suasory, persuasive, persuasory, hortative, hortatory, protreptical, inviting, tempting suasive, suasory, seductive, attractive, fascinating, provocative, induced, disposed, persuadable, spellbound, instinct with, smitten with, infatuated, inspired, by, because, therefore, from this motive, from that motive, for this reason, for that reason, for, by reason of, for the sake of, count of, out of, from, as, forasmuch as, for all the world, on principle, fax mentis incendium gloriae, temptation hath a music for all ears, to beguile many and be beguiled by one.

Conformity

N conformity, conformance, observance, habituation, naturalization, conventionality, agreement, example, instance, specimen, sample, quotation, exemplification, illustration, case in point, object lesson, elucidation, standard, model, pattern, rule, nature, principle, law, order of things, normal state, natural state, ordinary state, model state, normal condition, natural condition, ordinary condition, model condition, standing dish, standing order, Procrustean law, law of the Medes and Persians, hard and fast rule, conformable to rule, regular, according to regulation, according to rule, according to Hoyle, according to Cocker, according to Gunter, en regle, selon les regles, well regulated, orderly, symmetric, conventional, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, in the natural order of things, ordinary, common, habitual, usual, everyday, workaday, in the order of the day, naturalized, typical, normal, nominal, formal, canonical, orthodox, sound, strict, rigid, positive, uncompromising, Procrustean, secundum artem, shipshape, technical, exempIe, illustrative, in point, conformably, by rule, agreeably to, in conformity with, in accordance with, in keeping with, according to, consistently with, as usual, ad instar, instar omnium, more solito, more-majorum, for the sake of conformity, as a matter of course, of course, pro forma, for form's sake, by the card, invariably, for example, exempli gratia, e, g, inter alia, among other things, for instance, cela va sans dire, ex pede Herculem, noscitur a sociis, ne e quovis ligno Mercurius fiat, they are happy men whose natures sort with their v, The nail that sticks up hammered down, Tall poppy syndrome, Stick your neck out and it may get cut off.

Request

N request, requisition, claim, petition, suit, prayer, begging letter, round robin, motion, overture, application, canvass, address, appeal, apostrophe, imprecation, rogation, proposal, proposition, orison, incantation, mendicancy, asking, begging, postulation, solicitation, invitation, entreaty, importunity, supplication, instance, impetration, imploration, obsecration, obtestation, invocation, interpellation, requesting, precatory, suppliant, supplicant, supplicatory, postulant, obsecratory, importunate, clamorous, urgent, cap in hand, on one's knees, on one's bended knees, on one's marrowbones, prithee, do, please, pray, be so good as, be good enough, have the goodness, vouchsafe, will you, I pray thee, if you please, Int, for God's sake!, for heaven's sake!, for goodness' sake!, for mercy's sake!, Dieu vous garde, dirigenos Domine, would you be so kind as to.