What does instancing mean?
Instancing means the process of creating an individual instance of something. It is most common in computing, where a program may create an instance of a class, component, object, or reusable design element. The word is related to instantiation, which serves a similar function but is often the more conventional term in technical documentation. Outside specialist contexts, instancing can also refer more generally to producing an individual example or occurrence. For example, template instancing is the process of generating distinct objects from a shared template. The term is not especially common in everyday speech, and writers should normally use the more familiar words creation, production, or example when those are sufficiently precise.
nounThe action or process of creating a particular instance, especially of an object, component, or other defined entity in computing. The term is also used more generally for the production or occurrence of an individual example.
- The action or process of creating a particular instance, especially of an object, component, or other defined entity in computing.
- The action of producing an individual instance or example.
"The system supports the instancing of a reusable component at several points in the application."
"Object instancing allows the same visual template to represent many different items."
"The article discusses the instancing of a design pattern in object-oriented software."
Instancing is usually treated as an uncountable process noun; the plural is uncommon.
"The report compares several separate instancings of the same model."
In computing, one design can produce many separate objects: creating each of those individual objects is called instancing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does instancing come from?
Instancing was formed by adding the suffix -ing to the verb instantiate. That verb ultimately derives from instance, which comes through Old French from Latin instantia, meaning presence, immediate circumstance, or example. The modern computing sense developed from the general idea of producing a particular example or individual instance.
Related word forms
How instancing is actually used
The term is chiefly used in technical writing, particularly in computing and software engineering. In general prose, instantiation is usually more natural.
Easily confused with instancing
An instance is the individual object or example itself, whereas instancing refers to the process of creating or bringing that instance into existence.
Instantiation is the established technical noun for creating an instance, while instancing is a less common equivalent formed directly on the verb stem.