- plural of instruction.
instructions
Britishplural noun
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directions, orders, or recommended rules for guidance, use, etc
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law the facts and details relating to a case given by a client to his solicitor or by a solicitor to a barrister with directions to conduct the case
to take instructions
Explanation
You know those days when you just can’t seem to remember how to do the simplest tasks? If only everything came with instructions: a guide to operating the toothpaste tube, or a manual showing you how to pour cereal. Instructions is related to the verb instruct, meaning “teach.” Instructions are sets of information that teach you how to do something or use something. The more we use technology to make our lives easier, the more we need to read instructions to help us learn how to use the technology. After all, you can’t let your robotic poodle-groomer loose on your poodle until you figure out how it works first.
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.
Detainees alleged they routinely wiped black mold off shower walls at the facility, saw black dust spew from air vents and used cleaning solutions that lacked instructions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
If you’re someone who thinks about estate planning the old-fashioned way — working with a lawyer to set up instructions for what happens to your assets after you die — this may not compute.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026
He is a player who works for the team, accepts tactical instructions and never rests on his laurels.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
Signaling pathways are communication systems that allow cells to receive instructions and coordinate their behavior.
From Science Daily • Jun. 27, 2026
The automat whizzed behind her shouting its instructions to keep her voice soft, but she continued to ignore it.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
