instructor

American  

[in-struhk-ter] / ɪnˈstrʌk tər /

noun

• instructors
  plural

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.

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instructor British  

/ ɪnˈstrʌktə, ɪnˈstrʌktrɪs /

noun

1. someone who instructs; teacher

2. a university teacher ranking below assistant professor

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• instructors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of instructor

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

Compare meaning

How does instructor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• instructor vs. lecturer

Explanation

An instructor is a teacher. One can be an instructor of just about anything, but it usually applies to teaching hands-on skills, like a water-skiing instructor or the instructor of the knitting class held at the community center. When you instruct, or teach, other people how to do something, you are their instructor. At a college, you might hear some of the people who teach classes referred to as instructors and others as professors. An instructor might teach only part-time, or be a graduate student, or, for the moment at least, not be on the path to receiving the title of professor. Still, instructors are teachers: they have their own classes and students.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

instructor instructors

"There is a local saying that if you put a camera at an intersection in Chongqing, every 30 seconds you'll see a motorcycle pass by," said Zhang Yuanming, a 29-year-old motorbike enthusiast and instructor.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

The 75-minute Yin Yoga session is led by a trauma-informed instructor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

The playlist changes instructor to instructor, but the moves are always beat-driven.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

During a recent practice, two regulars, including the instructor, were in the hospital after suffering strokes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

And as these meetings were the only opportunity Marco was given to see his instructor, the continued absence frustrates him.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

None of the allegations in our investigation relate to these instructors, but the four women say the convictions raise serious questions about the college's culture.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Thousands of artists, filmmakers and musicians have passed through its doors as students and instructors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

In their report, the staffers also noted that there have been few well-run studies assessing the safety and efficacy of peptides, which are essentially instructors, telling amino-acid chains how to fix or improve certain cells.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

After the news conference, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni hugged Spain counterpart Luis de la Fuente, who was one of the instructors when Scaloni gained his Uefa Pro coaching licence in Spain.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

And yet it seemed to be a point of pride among Bloom’s instructors that the training was about us, not about them.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• adviser
• coach
• guide
• lecturer
• mentor
• professor
• teacher
• trainer
• tutor