Definition of instance

• n. - The act or quality of being instant or pressing; urgency; solicitation; application; suggestion; motion.
• n. - That which is instant or urgent; motive.
• n. - Occasion; order of occurrence.
• n. - That which offers itself or is offered as an illustrative case; something cited in proof or exemplification; a case occurring; an example.
• n. - A token; a sign; a symptom or indication.
• v. t. - To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite; as, to instance a fact.
• v. i. - To give an example.