SKIP TO CONTENT

instantiation

/ɪnˌstænʃiˈeɪʃən/
IPA guide

Instantiation is when you give a specific example to clarify an idea or opinion. The perfect instantiation of your uncle's love of dogs is the fact that seven Great Danes live in his house with him.

Instantiation, most simply understood to mean "exemplification," or "the ideal example or representation," is also a more complicated philosophical idea. The "instantiation principle" is essentially the concept that a characteristic or property can't exist unless you can point to a real-world instance of it. And in computing, instantiation is the act of creating a named object in a particular programming language. In everyday use, you might say your lovely new shirt is the instantiation of your sister's sewing ability.

Definitions of instantiation
  1. noun
    a representation of an idea in the form of an instance of it
    “how many instantiations were found?”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    internal representation, mental representation, representation
    a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘instantiation'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family