substitution instance

noun

A well-formed formula (wff) that has a constant term in place of a variable; expressed as Q(a/x), where the resulting wff is identical to Q except that the constant a takes the place of every free occurrence of the variable x.

Opposite
generalization
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Meanings

nounsubstitution instance (plural substitution instances)

plural substitution instances

  1. human sciencesA well-formed formula (wff) that has a constant term in place of a variable; expressed as Q(a/x), where the resulting wff is identical to Q except that the constant a takes the place of every free occurrence of the variable x.

    The result of substituting a term a for all free occurrences of the variable x in the formula Q is denoted by Q(a/x).

    1972, Alonzo Church, Introduction to Mathematical Logic, Princeton University Press, page 78

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
generalization
Cite this entry
APA

substitution instance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/substitution%20instance

MLA

“substitution instance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/substitution%20instance. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “substitution instance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/substitution%20instance.

Source: substitution instance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.