Transient vs Instant - What's the difference?
transient | instant |
Passing or disappearing with time; transitory.
* Milton
Remaining for only a brief time.
(physics) Decaying with time, especially exponentially.
(mathematics, stochastic processes, of a state) having a positive probability of being left and never being visited again.
Occasional; isolated; one-off; individual.
Passing through; passing from one person to another.
(philosophy) Operating beyond itself; having an external effect.
Something which is transient.
(physics) A transient phenomenon, especially an electric current; a very brief surge.
(acoustics) A relatively loud, non-repeating signal in an audio waveform which occurs very quickly, such as the attack of a snare drum.
A person who passes through a place for a short time; a traveller; a migrant worker
* 1996 , , Oyster , Virago Press, paperback edition, page 3
An unhoused person
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 transient and instant
is that transient is passing or disappearing with time; transitory while instant is (dated) impending; imminent.As nouns the difference between transient and instant
is that transient is something which is transient while instant is a very short period of time; a moment.As an adverb instant is
(poetic) at once; immediately.transient
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- a transient pleasure
- this transient world
- a transient view of a landscape
Synonyms
* (passing) passing, transitory, temporary * (brief) brief, ephemeral, fleeting, flighty, fugaciousAntonyms
* (passing) permanent * (brief) permanent * (mathematics) recurrent * (philosophy) immanentDerived terms
* transience * transiently * transientnessNoun
(en noun)- Then, within the space of a few months, there were more transients than there were locals, and the imbalance seemed morally wrong.
Synonyms
* (4) traveller: itinerant, migrant, traveller * (5) homeless: homelessAnagrams
* *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.