Instanz

German

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin īnstantia (“perseverence, urgency”), first referring to the pursuit of a legal matter, then the office responsible for that pursuit. The technological sense is a later semantic loan from English instance.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ants

Noun

Instanz f (genitive Instanz, plural Instanzen)

  1. (law) legal authority
    Der Bundesgerichtshof ist die oberste gerichtliche Instanz für Strafverfahren in Deutschland.
    The Federal Court of Justice is the highest judicial authority for criminal proceedings in Germany.
    in erster Instanz entscheiden ― to decide (a court case) in the first instance
    1. (by extension) authority, entity (any agency, person or level in a hierarchy considered to have authority over a situation)
  2. (especially computing) instance (specific occurence or realization)

Declension

Declension of Instanz [feminine]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Instanz die Instanzen
genitive einer der Instanz der Instanzen
dative einer der Instanz den Instanzen
accusative eine die Instanz die Instanzen

Further reading

  • “Instanz” in Duden online
  • “Instanz” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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