entry
instance
/ˈɪnstəns/A particular case illustrating a general idea
From Latin inst- (standing near).
from Latin instantia "presence, effort, intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French instance "effort, application; urgency, eagerness, anxiety" (13c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Latin instantia "presence, effort, intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin instantia "presence, effort, intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near,"
+1 more sourcefrom Old French instance "effort, application; urgency, eagerness, anxiety" (13c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Latin instantia "presence, effort, intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near,"
+1 more sourcePicture a medieval petitioner standing close to a judge, pressing his case with urgent persistence: that physical image lies behind Latin īnstāns, “standing near.” From it came instantia, first suggesting presence, earnest effort, and importunity before Old French turned it into instance, “urgency” or “application.” By the early 15th century, English speakers had given the word a logical makeover: an instance became a fact or case brought forward to illustrate a general claim. The phrase “for instance” arrived in the 1650s, quietly replacing the older sense of a person urgently pressing a request with the calmer act of producing an example. So when you say “for instance,” you are metaphorically walking a piece of evidence right up to the listener and placing it on the table.
The Story
Picture a medieval petitioner standing close to a judge, pressing his case with urgent persistence: that physical image lies behind Latin īnstāns, “standing near.” From it came instantia, first suggesting presence, earnest effort, and importunity before Old French turned it into instance, “urgency” or “application.” By the early 15th century, English speakers had given the word a logical makeover: an instance became a fact or case brought forward to illustrate a general claim. The phrase “for instance” arrived in the 1650s, quietly replacing the older sense of a person urgently pressing a request with the calmer act of producing an example. So when you say “for instance,” you are metaphorically walking a piece of evidence right up to the listener and placing it on the table.
Kin & Kindred
From 'inst-'·standing near; pressing or urging
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary