The meaning of INSTANT is an infinitesimal space of time; especially : a point in time separating two states. How to use instant in a sentence. INSTANT definition: an infinitesimal or very short space of time; a moment.

Understanding the Context

See examples of instant used in a sentence. In physics and the philosophy of science, instant refers to an infinitesimal interval in time, whose passage is instantaneous. In ordinary speech, an instant has been defined as "a point or very short space of time," a notion deriving from its etymological source, the Latin verb instare, from in- + stare ('to stand'), meaning 'to stand upon or ...