Constant vs Instant - What's the difference?
constant | instant |
Unchanged through time or space; permanent.
Consistently recurring over time; persistent.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-11-16, volume=409, issue=8862, magazine=(The Economist), author=Schumpeter
, title= Steady in purpose, action, feeling, etc.
* Sir (Philip Sidney) (1554-1586)
* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
* (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
Firm; solid; not fluid.
* (Robert Boyle) (1627-1691)
(obsolete) Consistent; logical.
* Shakespeare, Twelfth Night IV.ii
That which is permanent or invariable.
(algebra) A quantity that remains at a fixed value throughout a given discussion.
(science) Any property of an experiment, determined numerically, that does not change under given circumstances.
(computing) An identifier that is bound to an invariant value; a fixed value given a name to aid in readability of source code.
A very short period of time; a moment.
* She paused for only an instant , which was just enough time for John to change the subject.
A single, usually precise, point in time.
* The instant the alarm went off, he fled the building.
An instant beverage or food, especially instant coffee.
A day of the current month (abbreviated as : )
* In response to your letter of the twenty-first instant...
(dated) Impending; imminent.
* Prior
(dated) Urgent; pressing; acute.
* Bible, Rom. xii. 12
* Carlyle
Occurring immediately; immediate; present.
* Fuller
* {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
, title=
, chapter=2 Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.
Very quickly and easily prepared.
Of the current month (abbreviation inst.).
* “I refer to your letter of the 16th inst. in regard to traffic disruption”
(poetic) At once; immediately.
* 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , I.182:
As adjectives the difference between constant and instant
is that constant is unchanged through time or space; permanent while instant is impending; imminent.As nouns the difference between constant and instant
is that constant is that which is permanent or invariable while instant is a very short period of time; a moment.As an adverb instant is
at once; immediately.constant
English
Adjective
(en adjective)The mindfulness business, passage=The constant pinging of electronic devices is driving many people to the end of their tether. Electronic devices not only overload the senses and invade leisure time. They feed on themselves: the more people tweet the more they are rewarded with followers and retweets.}}
- Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant friends.
- I am constant to my purposes.
- His gifts, his constant courtship, nothing gained.
- Ifyou mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body.
- I am no more mad than you are: make the trial of it with any constant question.
Noun
(en noun)See also
* (computing) literal ----instant
English
Alternative forms
* instaunt (obsolete)Etymology 1
From (etyl) . More at (l), (l).Noun
(en noun)Etymology 2
From (etyl) and (etyl) instant, from (etyl) ; see state.Adjective
(-)- Impending death is thine, and instant doom.
- Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
- I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation.
- The instant time is always the fittest time.
citation, passage=No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict ; he had often threatened any one of his employés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of these touts.}}
- instant coffee
Derived terms
* instantize, instantise * instantly * instant replayAdverb
(-)- He left the room for his relinquished sword, / And Julia instant to the closet flew.