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Webster 1913 Edition

Instant

In′stant

,
Adj.
[L.
instans
,
-antis
, p. pr. of
instare
to stand upon, to press upon; pref.
in-
in, on +
stare
to stand: cf. F.
instant
. See
Stand
.]
1.
Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing
instant
in prayer.
Rom. xii. 12.
I am beginning to be very
instant
for some sort of occupation.
Carlyle.
2.
Closely pressing or impending in respect to time; not deferred; immediate; without delay.
Impending death is thine, and
instant
doom.
Prior.
3.
Present; current.
The
instant
time is always the fittest time.
Fuller.
☞ The word in this sense is now used only in dates, to indicate the current month; as, the tenth of July instant.

In′stant

,
adv.
Instantly.
[Poetic]
Instant
he flew with hospitable haste.
Pope.

In′stant

,
Noun.
[F.
instant
, fr. L.
instans
standing by, being near, present. See
Instant
,
Adj.
]
There is scarce an
instant
between their flourishing and their not being.
Hooker.
Syn. – Moment; flash; second.

Webster 1828 Edition

Instant

IN'STANT

,
Adj.
[L. instans, insto.]
1.
Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest.
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Rom.12.
2.
Immediate; without intervening time; present.
Impending death is thine and instant doom.
3.
Quick; making no delay.
Instant he flew with hospitable haste.
4.
Present; current. On the tenth of July instant.

IN'STANT

,
Noun.
A point in duration; a moment; a part of duration in which we perceive no succession, or a part that occupies the time of a single thought.
1.
A particular time.

Definition 2024

instant

instant

English

Alternative forms

Noun

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. An instant beverage or food, especially instant coffee.
  4. A day of the current month (abbreviated as: inst.)
    • In response to your letter of the twenty-first instant...
Translations

Etymology 2

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.

Adjective

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
  6. Of the current month (abbreviation inst.).
    • “I refer to your letter of the 16th inst. in regard to traffic disruption”
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Adverb

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.

Related terms

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: fee · excellent · Peter · #999: instant · promised · anxious · drink

Catalan

Noun

instant m ‎(plural instants)

  1. instant (very short period of time)

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃stɑ̃/

Adjective

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

  1. (literary) pressing, insistent

Noun

instant m ‎(plural instants)

  1. instant, minute, moment

Derived terms

Latin

Verb

instant

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of instō

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from English instant.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [inˈstant]

Adjective

instant m, f, n ‎(invariable)

  1. instant (very quickly and easily prepared)

Declension

Adjective

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

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

Declension

Synonyms

Adverb

instant

  1. (nonstandard) instantly

Synonyms

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

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