constituted an instance of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "constituted an instance of" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to a specific example or occurrence of a particular situation or behavior. For example, "The decision constituted an instance of poor judgment." Alternative expressions include "represented a case of" and "served as an example of."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

O'Reilly also found the bank's refusal to release any "meaningful information" about the findings of the investigation "constituted an instance of maladministration".

The Guardian

Each cell in the simulation constituted an instance of a particle class including data members position, velocity, force, length, cell type, and growth rate.

BMC Systems Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

This constitutes an instance of convergence or re-cycling in mediascapes.

Bandung: Journal of the Global South

But if the force of blame is grounded in the cognitive elements of the emotion, then why wouldn't a judgment with the same content constitute an instance of blame?

SEP

And since this social identity is often part of one's individual identity, such treatment is likely to be injurious to the self-respect of the one with this identity, and in that sense constitutes an instance of misrecognition.

SEP

This constitutes an instance of knowledge flow in which existing native Chinese concepts were largely ignored and a set of foreign theories was simply applied to an alien or exotic context.

The Journal of Chinese Sociology

Thus, a world in which a third hydrogen atom bonds to our the oxygen atom o in Figure 1 is simply not a world in which W exists; it is not a world in which o, h1, and h2, even bonded as they are in W, jointly constitute an instance of Water.

SEP

They are structured, even compositional, but not reducible to language-like symbol media (Rescorla 2009); they constitute an instance of what Cummins (1996) calls S- Representation without being simply picture-like representations.

Biology and Philosophy

Pierre Vivant's work (1992) (Figure 1) constitutes a dazzling instance of so-called "public art" at the service of urban restructuring.

City, Territory and Architecture

In the human situation, learning to recognize the name of an object or a foreign word constitutes a simple instance of stimulus learning.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"Did NATO's air strikes against Yugoslavia, undertaken without a mandate from the Security Council, constitute a valid instance of epieikeia?" asks Gregory Reichberg, a senior researcher at the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, in one essay.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure that the noun following the phrase is a category or a defined concept (e.g., "misconduct", "maladministration" or "stimulus learning") rather than a vague description.

Common error

Do not use "instant" in this phrase; "constituted an instance of" refers to an example or occurrence, whereas "instant" refers to a moment in time. Using the wrong word will significantly undermine the formal tone of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "constituted an instance of" serves as a complex verb phrase that performs a classifying function. It links a specific subject (a fact, event or object) to a predicate that identifies it as an example of a broader type. According to Ludwig AI, this structure is standard in analytical writing where precise categorization is required.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Social Media

1%

Informal

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "constituted an instance of" is a highly professional and precise linguistic tool used to classify specific actions or objects as examples of a larger category. Analysis from Ludwig AI confirms that while it is relatively rare in everyday speech, it is a staple of Academic, Scientific and Legal writing. High-tier sources like The New York Times and Nature frequently employ this phrase to provide definitive labels for complex situations, such as "maladministration" or "stimulus learning". If you are writing a research paper, a legal brief or a formal report, using this phrase will lend an air of authority and clarity to your arguments. Always ensure that the noun following "of" is a clear, identifiable category to maintain the phrase effectiveness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

represented a case of

implies the event stands as a clear representative of a specific category

served as an example of

emphasizes the illustrative nature of the event or action

typified an instance of

suggests the event is a characteristic or standard example of its group

was an illustration of

suggests a clear and visible demonstration of a specific principle

amounted to an occurrence of

focuses on the cumulative result or the fact that the action meets the definition

manifested as an example of

indicates that the category became visible or evident through this specific event

exemplified a situation of

highlights the event as a perfect or typical model of a situation

embodied a form of

suggests a physical or tangible manifestation of an abstract concept

comprised a specific case of

emphasizes that the instance is a component of a larger classification

acted as a specimen of

uses a more clinical or scientific tone to describe a representative sample

FAQs

How to use "constituted an instance of" in a sentence?

You can use it to define a specific action as a member of a category, such as: "The bank's refusal to release any meaningful information "constituted an instance of" maladministration."

What can I say instead of "constituted an instance of"?

You can use alternatives like "represented a case of", "served as an example of" or "typified an instance of" depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

Is "constituted an instance of" formal?

Yes, it is highly formal. It is commonly found in academic journals like Nature, legal reports and scientific papers to provide precise definitions.

What is the difference between "constituted an instance of" and "represented a case of"?

While both are very similar, "constituted an instance of" feels more definitive and categorical, whereas "represented a case of" is slightly more symbolic or illustrative.