Etymology

instantiate

I1N1S1T1A1N1T1I1A1T1E1

Today it means: To represent (a concept, theme, or principle) by an instance. Full definition →

First used 20th c.
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The story

From Latin instāntia + -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, instance + -ate.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 20th c. To represent (a concept, theme, or principle) by an instance.
  • from 20th c. To create an object (an instance) of a specific class.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.