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.

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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

• 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 ( 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

Not only was he America’s most famous art instructor, he was also our unofficial art therapist, evangelizing painting as a way to find solace in our imagination.

From Salon • May 2, 2026

The Americans killed were "instructor officers" who "were carrying out training tasks" as part of anti-drug cooperation between the US and Mexico, Jauregui said.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

So we spent 45 minutes in a dimly lit room riding stationary bikes at intense speeds while an instructor shouted affirmations from the front of the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The Dodgers moved longtime coach and scout Monty Basgall — known as an exceptional infield instructor — from the front office to the field to help the players adjust to their new roles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Gene Nora Stumbough, a flying instructor at the University of Oklahoma, heard about the astronaut testing from Wally Funk at an Oklahoma college aviation gathering.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

Related Words

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