Which meaning of instance corresponds to an occurrence?

• A. An occurrence
• B. An example used to demonstrate something
• C. A hypothetical situation
• D. A repeated event

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that instance primarily means a single occurrence or event. When you hear or read it, you can think of a concrete happening—one specific time something occurs. So, an instance of rain, an instance of a mistake, or an instance in data representing one particular event—all of these point to a real happening.

That’s why the meaning that matches “an occurrence” fits best. The other common sense—using instance to mean “an example used to illustrate something”—is related but shifts from a real happening to a representative case or illustration. In this question, the emphasis is on the occurrence aspect, so the sense that directly denotes a single event is the strongest fit.