8 letters · 10 points in Scrabble
noun an occurrence of something
noun an item of information that is typical of a class or group
verb clarify by giving an example of
originBorrowed from Middle French instance, from Latin īnstantia (“a being near, presence, also perseverance, earnestness, importunity, urgency”), from īnstāns (“urgent”); see instant.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0