n.

1. An almost imperceptible space of time. See synonyms at moment.
2. A particular or precise time: at the instant of combustion.
3. (Abbr. inst.) The current month: your letter of the 15th instant.
4. A food or beverage designed for quick preparation.

adj.

1. Occurring at once; immediate: instant gratification.
2. Imperative; urgent: an instant need.
3. Now under consideration; present.
4. 1. Commercially prepared or processed for quick and easy final preparation: an instant cake mix.
   2. Readily soluble in water: instant coffee; instant powdered milk.
   3. Appearing, done, or taking place with or as if with maximum quickness and ease: “She had the gift of instant intimacy” (Sylvia Jukes Morris).

adv.

At once; instantly.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin īnstāns, īnstant-, present, present participle of īnstāre, to approach : in-, on; see in–² + stāre, to stand.]

instantness in'stant·ness n.

noun

1. A very brief time: crack, flash, minute¹, moment, second¹, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink. Informal jiff, jiffy. Chiefly British tick. See big/small/amount, time.
2. A particular interval of time that is limited and often crucial: juncture, moment, point. See time.

adjective

1. Occurring at once: immediate, instantaneous. See time.
2. Compelling immediate attention: burning, crying, dire, emergent, exigent, imperative, pressing, urgent. See big/small/amount.

adverb

Without delay: directly, forthwith, immediately, instantly, now, right away, right off, straightaway, straight off. Idioms: at once, first off. See time.

adj

Definition: immediate, urgent
Antonyms: delayed, eventual, late, later, long-term

n

Definition: moment
Antonyms: eternity

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This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

Current or present.

When composing a legal brief, an attorney might use the phrase the instant case in reference to the case currently before the court to distinguish it from other cases discussed.

IN BRIEF: A very small amount of time.

Books had instant replay long before televised sports. — Egbert Austin Bert Williams (1876?-1922)

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - øjeblikkelig, umiddelbar
n. - øjeblik, sekund, minut
adv. - færdig, hurtig, på rede hånd

idioms:

• instant coffee    pulverkaffe, frysekaffe
• instant replay    langsom gengivelse

Nederlands (Dutch)
moment, onmiddellijk, kant-en-klaar, dringend, oplos-

Français (French)
adj. - immédiat, courant (l'eau chaude), (Culin) instantané, déshydraté, en poudre, à préparation instantanée, (Comm) courant
n. - instant, moment, immédiatement, sur-le-champ
adv. - instantanément

idioms:

• instant coffee    café instantané
• instant replay    (TV) répétition immédiate d'une séquence, ralenti (une séquence)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Augenblick
adj. - unmittelbar, sofortig, Pulver...
adv. - (poet.) sofort

idioms:

• instant coffee    Pulverkaffee
• instant replay    (Sport) sofortige (Zeitlupen)wiederholung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (παρούσα) στιγμή
adj. - άμεσος, επείγων, πιεστικός, τρέχων ή του τρέχοντος (μηνός κ.λπ.), της στιγμής, στιγμιαίος, ακαριαίος

idioms:

• instant coffee    στιγμιαίος καφές
• instant replay    άμεση επανάληψη φάσης

Italiano (Italian)
momento, urgente

idioms:

• instant replay    ripetizione immediata

Português (Portuguese)
n. - instante (m)
adj. - instantâneo, do corrente mês

idioms:

• instant replay    repetição (f) instantânea de uma seqüência

Русский (Russian)
мгновение, немедленный

idioms:

• instant replay    немедленный повторный показ какого-л. события

Español (Spanish)
adj. - urgente, inminente, inmediato, instantáneo, insistente
n. - instante, momento
adv. - instantáneamente, en forma inminente, en forma inmediata o inmediatamente, al instante

idioms:

• instant coffee    café soluble, café instantáneo
• instant replay    repetición de jugada, repetición instantánea

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ögonblick
adj. - ögonblicklig, enträgen, snabb-

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
立即的, 即时的, 立即, 瞬间, 立刻

idioms:

• instant coffee    即溶咖啡
• instant replay    即时重放

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 立即的, 即時的
n. - 立即, 瞬間
adv. - 立即, 立刻

idioms:

• instant coffee    即溶咖啡
• instant replay    即時重放

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 즉시의, 즉석요리용의, 이달의
n. - 순간, 인스턴트식품
adv. - 즉석에서

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 即座の, 緊急の, インスタントの, 即席の, 今月の
n. - 瞬間, 即時, 今すぐに

idioms:

• instant coffee    インスタントコーヒー
• instant replay    ビデオの即時再生

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) لحظه, حالا (صفه) حالي, مباشر, ملح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מידי, דחוף, קורה/נעשה ברגע, מהיר להכנה (מזון), חפוז‬
n. - ‮רגע, מידי, דחוף, מהיר להכנה (מזון), חפוז, משך-זמן נקודתי‬
adv. - ‮רגע, מידי, בחודש זה, דחוף, קורה/נעשה ברגע, מהיר להכנה (מזון), חפוז, משך-זמן נקודתי‬

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Instant Camera	Instant Messaging
Instant-ocean	instant bows