instant

• instaunt (obsolete)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɪnstənt/

• Audio (US)

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From Middle English instant (“infinitely short period of time”), from Old French instant (“assiduous, at hand”, adj), from Latin instans, instant- (“present, pressing, urgent”, literally “standing near”), from in + stāre (“to stand”). Compare Old English instede (“immediately, on the spot, at once”). More at in, stand.

instant (plural instants)

1. A very short period of time; a moment.

   She paused for only an instant, which was just enough time for John to change the subject.

2. A single, usually precise, point in time.

   The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.

3. A beverage or food which has been pre-processed to reduce preparation time, especially instant coffee.
4. A day of the current month (abbreviated as: inst.)

   In response to your letter of the twenty-first instant...

From Old French and French instant, from Latin instans (“standing by, being near, present, also urgent, importunate”), present participle of instare (“to stand upon, press upon, urge, pursue, insist”), from in (“on, upon”) + stare (“to stand”); see state.

instant (not comparable)

1. (dated) Impending; imminent.
   • Prior

     Impending death is thine, and instant doom.

2. (dated) Urgent; pressing; acute.
   • Bible, Rom. xii. 12

     Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.

   • Carlyle

     I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation.

3. Occurring immediately; immediate; present.
   • Fuller

     The instant time is always the fittest time.

   • 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 2, in The Hocussing of Cigarette‎:

     No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict ; he had often threatened any one of his employés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of these touts.

4. Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.
5. Very quickly and easily prepared.

   instant coffee; instant noodles; instant mashed potato; instant photo

6. Of the current month.

   Synonym: inst. (abbreviation)

   I refer to your letter of the 16th instant in regard to traffic disruption.

• instantize, instantise
• instantly
• instant mash
• instant replay

• instakill
• instance

instant (not comparable)

1. (poetic) At once; immediately.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I.182:

     He left the room for his relinquished sword, / And Julia instant to the closet flew.

• inst
• instance
• instancy
• instantaneous
• instantaneously
• instanter
• instantial
• instantiate
• instantly

instant m (plural instants)

1. instant (very short period of time)

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃s.tɑ̃/

• instant

  (file)

instant (feminine singular instante, masculine plural instants, feminine plural instantes)

1. (literary) pressing, insistent

instant m (plural instants)

1. instant, minute, moment

• de tous les instants
• instantané

• “instant” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

īnstant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of īnstō

Borrowed from English instant.

• IPA^(key): [inˈstant]

instant m or f or n (invariable)

1. instant (very quickly and easily prepared)

instant m or n (feminine singular instantă, masculine plural instanți, feminine and neuter plural instante)

1. (nonstandard) instant (occurring immediately; immediate; present)

• instantaneu

instant

1. (nonstandard) instantly

• instantaneu