object instance

An object instance is the representation of a particular object within an application or a database. Usually, object instances are represented as complex data types. More complex objects, however, may appear as database object as well.

An object instance is a value that results from applying a context (object type or terminology model) to an individual object. While applying an object type to an individual object results in a well-structured object instance following a specific schema defined by the object type, applying a terminology model to an individual object instance results in a semi-structured object instance with undefined number of properties.