- to direct to do something; order
- to teach (someone) how to do (something)
- to furnish with information; apprise
- chiefly Brit (esp of a client to his or her solicitor or a solicitor to a barrister) to give relevant facts or information to
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•struct /ɪnˈstrʌkt/USA pronunciation
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to provide (someone) with knowledge, esp. by a systematic method:[~ + object (+ in + object)]The teacher instructed her students in mathematics.
- to give (someone) orders or directions;
direct;
order;
command: [~ + object + to + verb]She instructed us to leave one by one.[~ (+ object);
used in quotations)]"Concentrate,'' he instructed her, "and think about what to do next.''
in•struct
(in strukt′),USA pronunciation v.t.
in•struct′ed•ly, adv.
in•struct′ed•ness, n.
in•struct′i•ble, adj.
- to furnish with knowledge, esp. by a systematic method;
teach;
train;
educate. - to furnish with orders or directions;
direct;
order;
command:The doctor instructed me to diet. - to furnish with information;
inform;
apprise. - Law(of a judge) to guide (a jury) by outlining the legal principles involved in the case under consideration.
- Latin instructus past participle of instruere to equip, train, set in order, equivalent. to in- in-2 + struc- (variant stem of struere to put together) + -tus past participle suffix
- late Middle English 1375–1425
in•struct′ed•ness, n.
in•struct′i•ble, adj.
- 1. tutor, coach; drill, discipline; indoctrinate; school. See teach. 2. prescribe. 3. enlighten.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
instruct /ɪnˈstrʌkt/ vb (transitive)
'instruct' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
brief
- catechize
- didactic
- drill
- enlighten
- ground
- guide
- indoctrinate
- instructive
- instrument
- order
- pull over
- put up
- show
- stop
- summon
- tell
- Torah
- tutor
- break
- catechist
- charge
- civilize
- coach
- command
- didact
- document
- edify
- educate
- educational
- Four-H Club
- inform
- initiate
- instruction
- instructor
- instructress
- learn
- lecture
- lesson
- misinstruct
- Peace Corps
- preinstruct
- quasi-instructed
- reinstruct
- teach
- train
- uninstructed
- uninstructible
- uninstructing
- walk