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Instant vs Written - What's the difference?

instant | written |

As adjectives the difference between instant and written

is that instant is (dated) impending; imminent while written is of, relating or characteristic of writing (ie, of that which has been written).

As a noun instant

is a very short period of time; a moment.

As an adverb instant

is (poetic) at once; immediately.

As a verb written is

.

instant

English

Alternative forms

* instaunt (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at (l), (l).

Noun

(en noun)
  • 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...

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) and (etyl) instant, from (etyl) ; see state.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (dated) Impending; imminent.
  • * Prior
    • Impending death is thine, and instant doom.
  • (dated) Urgent; pressing; acute.
  • * Bible, Rom. xii. 12
    • Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.
  • * Carlyle
    • I am beginning to be very instant for some sort of occupation.
  • Occurring immediately; immediate; present.
  • * Fuller
    • The instant time is always the fittest time.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
    • , title= , chapter=2 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.}}
  • Lasting for a short moment; momentary; short-lived.
  • Very quickly and easily prepared.
    • instant coffee
  • Of the current month (abbreviation inst.).
  • * “I refer to your letter of the 16th inst. in regard to traffic disruption”
    • Derived terms
    * instantize, instantise * instantly * instant replay
    Related terms
    * instakill * instance

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (poetic) At once; immediately.
  • * 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , I.182:
    • He left the room for his relinquished sword, / And Julia instant to the closet flew.

    Related terms

    * inst * instance * instancy * instantaneous * instantaneously * instanter * instantial * instantiate * instantly

    Statistics

    * ----

    written

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of, relating or characteristic of writing (i.e., of that which has been written)
    • I can speak Japanese fairly well, but I have no understanding whatsoever of written Japanese.
  • That was written.

    • Derived terms

    * unwritten, writtenness, unwrittenness

    Quotations

    * * * * * * *

    Antonyms

    * oral * verbal

    Derived terms

    * hand-written

    Verb

    (head)
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= The Evolution of Eyeglasses , passage=The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,

    Statistics

    * English adjectives ending in -en