instruction
Americannoun
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instructions
plural
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the act or practice of instructing or teaching; education.
- Synonyms:
- schooling, indoctrination, exercise, drill, training
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knowledge or information imparted.
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an item of such knowledge or information.
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Usually instructions. orders or directions.
The instructions are on the back of the box.
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the act of furnishing with authoritative directions.
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Computers. a command given to a computer to carry out a particular operation.
noun
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a direction; order
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the process or act of imparting knowledge; teaching; education
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computing a part of a program consisting of a coded command to the computer to perform a specified function
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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misinstructionnoun
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overinstructionnoun
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preinstructionnoun
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reinstructionnoun
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self-instructionnoun
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instructionaladjective
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noninstructionaladjective
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noninstructionallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of instruction
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English instruccio(u)n, from Latin instructiōn-, stem of instructiō; equivalent to instruct + -ion
Explanation
Instruction is vital for education, as it is the transfer of learning from one person to another. Any time you are given directions or told how to do something you are receiving instruction. The noun instruction is related to the word structure; both share the Latin root structus, "built." The use of the word as we know it today appeared in the early 15th century from the Old French. Today it refers to the action of teaching and the job of a teacher. It can also be used to denote the directions themselves. Consider the word's connection with structure: effective instruction is presented in an orderly, structured manner.
Vocabulary lists containing instruction
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 11
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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:
Leading a company has always required ongoing learning, but the pace and scale of change brought on by artificial intelligence is driving more executives to seek formal instruction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Shah produced and sent the individual a document he titled "A Guide on Cybersecurity" that provided detailed information and instruction on cyber-security and the use of cryptocurrency.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Macauley reinforces this mindset with a simple instruction to her team: "Follow the data, ask better questions, and figure out what is actually happening."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Many said a full week of instruction was lost, and technicians found “digital tripwires” left behind to further infect systems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
At Doc’s instruction, we carefully stepped over the dust circle.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
A train operated by the company Iryo, carrying 147 passengers, stopped by an almond grove, its driver awaiting further instructions from a control center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The changes address a long-simmering grievance among travelers, some of whom have encountered checkout instructions that read less like the end of a vacation and more like the beginning of a Saturday spent doing housework.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
When actual rover drivers send instructions to vehicles in space, there is a time delay between when the radio signal is sent from Earth to when it reaches Mars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The BBC has sought comment from India's IT ministry on the restrictions and reported instructions to Meta but has not received a response.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Even though it is annoying how many instructions Guardian gives, she turns out to be very helpful in leading me to a spot that will be good for Fly’s first flight.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
