instantiation
English edit
Etymology edit
20th-century coinage from instantiate + -tion, itself coined 1946 from instance + -ate. The latter, in the sense "a case, an example", from Middle English instance, from Medieval Latin īnstantia (“a being near, presence; also perseverance, earnestness, importunity, urgency”), from Latin īnstāns (“urgent”); see English instant.[1]
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
instantiation (countable and uncountable, plural instantiations)
- (uncountable) The production of an instance, example, or specific application of a general classification, principle, theory, etc.
- (countable) Something resulting from the act of instantiating; an instance.
- 2019, Chigozie Obioma, An Orchestra of Minorities, Abacus (2019), page 150:
- I can name numerous instantiations of this gift of luck at work in my hostʼs life.
- (by extension, object-oriented programming) Creation of an instance of some class or template.
Coordinate terms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Terms etymologically related to instantiation
Translations edit
something resulting from the act of instantiating
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References edit
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “instantiate”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Further reading edit
- “instantiation”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.