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Synonyms

instructor

American  
[in-struhk-ter] / ɪnˈstrʌk tər /

noun

  1. a person who instructs; teacher.

    Synonyms:
    pedagogue, preceptor, schoolmaster, tutor
  2. a teacher in a college or university who ranks below an assistant professor.


instructor British  
/ ɪnˈstrʌktə, ɪnˈstrʌktrɪs /

noun

  1. someone who instructs; teacher

  2. a university teacher ranking below assistant professor

"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

  • instructorial adjective
  • instructorship noun
  • instructress noun
  • self-instructor noun

Etymology

Origin of instructor

1425–75; late Middle English < Latin, equivalent to instruc-, variant stem of instruere ( instruct ) + -tor -tor

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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.

A driving instructor says many in the industry have received "no information" ahead of the introduction of rules for new drivers later this year.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The study's first authors are Stanford Medicine's Chiraag Kulkarni, MD, an instructor in gastroenterology and hepatology, and assistant clinical research coordinator Touran Fardeen.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

His low-wattage charisma was blamed for a sharp drop of almost a million viewers from the previous season, which featured professional tennis instructor Joey Graziadei.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Empson, a 56-year-old British driving instructor, and Sharon Wilkinson, 60, had their dream wedding on the beach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

“What’s working here?” asks Sandy Ellis, master ceramicist, clay instructor, and my advisor.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson