Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2013 January 6

= January 6 =

Difference between for example and for instance ?
What is difference between for example and for instance ? Where are they used ? 106.212.34.233 (talk) 18:40, 6 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Answer to question 1 is nothing. Answer to question 2 is interchangeably.  -- Jayron  32  18:45, 6 January 2013 (UTC)


 * They're effectively the same thing. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 18:45, 6 January 2013 (UTC)


 * For example is a bit more formal. I would not recommend the use of for instance in business or academic writing. --Nricardo (talk) 04:34, 7 January 2013 (UTC)
 * In Legal writing woo-woo, "for instance" might indicate relevance to the matter at hand to one and to only one other relevant matter. "For example" might indicate relevance to the matter at hand to one and/or to more than one other relevant matters.--Shirt58 (talk) 12:12, 7 January 2013 (UTC)