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Synonyms

guidance

American  
[gahyd-ns] / ˈgaɪd ns /

noun

  1. the act or function of guiding; leadership; direction.

    Synonyms:
    government, control, supervision, conduct, management

  2. advice or counseling, especially that provided for students choosing a course of study or preparing for a vocation.

  3. supervised care or assistance, especially therapeutic help in the treatment of minor emotional disturbances.

  4. something that guides.

  5. 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.

guidance British  
/ ˈɡaɪdəns /

noun

  1. leadership, instruction, or direction

    1. counselling or advice on educational, vocational, or psychological matters

    2. ( as modifier )

      the marriage-guidance counsellor

  3. something that guides

  4. any process by which the flight path of a missile is controlled in flight See also guided missile

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonguidance noun
  • preguidance noun
  • self-guidance noun

Etymology

Origin of guidance

First recorded in 1765–75; guide + -ance

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.

California voter data expert Paul Mitchell expressed astonishment about the Postal Service’s guidance.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

The statement added that the department has updated guidance, is providing teachers with resources to recognise the signs of incel ideologies and is strengthening guidance for mobile phones in schools.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Departing BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong is likely to maintain a cautious stance rather than offer clear guidance at his final rate-setting meeting on April 10, said Morgan Stanley economist Kathleen Oh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The Pentagon in recent decades has welcomed a diversity of faiths, with chaplains tasked more with offering personal comfort and guidance than on blessing leaders' decisions.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

In his early years, Clare had studied the Tome every night, drawing comfort from the guidance of Ushers past.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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.