Instance

An 'instance' refers to a particular occurrence or example of something. It represents a specific point in time or space where something happens or exists, showcasing the characteristics of a broader category or concept. It can relate to anything from an individual event to a specific case under consideration, emphasizing the concrete manifestation of an abstract idea or pattern. Instances provide a tangible way to understand and analyze general principles, allowing for observation and comparison. They are crucial for illustrating concepts, providing evidence, and clarifying meaning by grounding it in the observable world.

Instance meaning with examples

• The detective meticulously reviewed the crime scene, examining every object as an instance of potential evidence. Each fingerprint, footprint, and discarded item provided an instance to support or refute a hypothesis, helping him construct a timeline and identify potential suspects. This allowed him to understand how and why it happened. The goal was to piece together the truth from several different instances of collected data.
• In programming, each object created from a class is an instance of that class. For example, each time a programmer creates a button on a website, that button is an instance of the "button" class. Each instance then holds separate values or states to identify it distinctly. The code creates multiple instances of the button, thus improving the interactive elements.
• The historian analyzed numerous instances of political unrest to understand the root causes of revolutions. She examined different uprisings, like the French Revolution and the English Civil War, as an instance that were affected by socio-economic disparities and autocratic regimes. She compared and contrasted these instances to find recurring patterns to draw conclusions and formulate generalizations about political instability.
• During the audit, the accounting team randomly selected a few instances of financial transactions to verify the accuracy of the company's records. These instances were compared to the paper records. Each transaction was then analyzed as an instance of good or bad practice. These instances helped to gauge the overall financial health of the organization and identify any irregularities that might have occurred.
• The researcher used various instances of scientific experiments to validate their hypothesis on the behavior of matter. The researchers would use different environments as an instance to study the changes within each. For example, heating substances, changing temperatures and various states would give a better understanding of the behavior of matter. The many instances contributed to a better and broader understanding.