guidance
Americannoun
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guidances
plural
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the act or function of guiding; leadership; direction.
- Synonyms:
- government, control, supervision, conduct, management
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advice or counseling, especially that provided for students choosing a course of study or preparing for a vocation.
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supervised care or assistance, especially therapeutic help in the treatment of minor emotional disturbances.
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something that guides.
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the process by which the flight of a missile or rocket may be altered in speed and direction in response to controls situated either wholly in the projectile or partly at a base.
noun
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leadership, instruction, or direction
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counselling or advice on educational, vocational, or psychological matters
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( as modifier )
the marriage-guidance counsellor
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something that guides
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any process by which the flight path of a missile is controlled in flight See also guided missile
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of guidance
Explanation
Guidance can mean steering (like the navigation system in a satellite) or the act of providing direction (like a guidance counselor does). Back in the 1530s, guidance started out meaning "the process of directing conduct," similar to what we think of when we think of parents, mentors, or counselors. If you've ever asked a friend for advice on what to wear, you were seeking their guidance. But guidance also applies to physical direction. We might use a global positioning system (GPS) for guidance when we drive. Years ago, sailors relied on the stars for guidance. Sherpas provide guidance to climbers hiking Mt. Everest so they don't get lost.
Vocabulary lists containing guidance
Leadership Vocabulary
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret
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The Titan's Curse
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The German Finance Agency will publish its quarterly debt issuance review for the fourth quarter on Thursday, while the Italian treasury will also publish its quarterly funding guidance on the same day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has made a concerted effort to give less guidance in an effort to get a stronger signal from financial-market participants.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Doctors in England are now able to prescribe it, with Wales expected to follow shortly but the guidance doesn't automatically apply to Northern Ireland.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Salesforce’s long-term outlook comes after the company’s guidance raise last month, when it also posted higher second-quarter profit and revenue driven by accelerating demand for its artificial-intelligence and data products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
They submitted the plan to Krogh, who asked John Ehrlichman for guidance.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Warren suggested that Venturella’s recusal related to “particular matters” involving Geo Group would allow him to still play a role in developing policies, directives and guidances that could present a conflict of interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The Labor Department spokeswoman said, “OSHA’s current guidances, standards and regulations fully outline the rights and protections of workers from dangers such as the coronavirus.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2020
"Administrations come and go, and so do guidances, and there's not a permanency there," she said.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 9, 2020
Additionally, two FDA guidances are in the works recommending that doctors default to agency-approved drugs over similar compounded medicines, unless there is a particular chemical difference that makes the compound more effective.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2017
Diligent to flatter the lion; will provide him guidances, and fractional sustenances, in view of the coming hunt; will eat the lion's leavings, once the prey is slaughtered.
From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19 by Thomas Carlyle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
