- plural of instruction.
instructions
Britishplural noun
-
directions, orders, or recommended rules for guidance, use, etc
-
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.
Pierre likens Jordan to a massive puzzle that Stewart is trying to piece together without any instructions or even a reference.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The findings suggest that some genetic mutations may cause disease not only by changing individual genetic instructions, but also by disturbing the physical arrangement of the genome itself.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
"Nepal's government has not given any instructions to cancel it," Hem Raj Aryal, spokesperson at the prime minister's office, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026
One of the suspects charged in Poland, a Ukrainian called Vladyslav D., described in detail to investigators how he made multiple long car trips in July 2024 following instructions from someone he knew as "Warrior".
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 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
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.
