instruction

noun

in·​struc·​tion in-ˈstrək-shən How to pronounce instruction (audio)
1
a
instructions plural : an outline or manual of technical procedure : directions
b
: a direction calling for compliance : order
usually used in plural
had instructions not to admit strangers
c
: a code that tells a computer to perform a particular operation
d
: precept
prevailing cultural instructions
2
: the action, practice, or profession of teaching
instructional adjective

Examples of instruction in a Sentence

You should read each instruction carefully. Their instruction was to deliver the package by five o'clock. The after-school program offers reading instruction to students who need it. The computer can handle one million instructions per second.
Recent Examples on the Web Cortes moved about frantically this week, taking calls, giving instructions and carrying small toritos from one corner of the workshop to the other. Fernanda Pesce and Alexis Triboulard, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 Be sure to read the instructions that come with your test and set a timer for the amount of time listed for the most precise results. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 The lawsuits allege a number of problems with the 267 pages of instructions. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 The manager also received several text messages from someone falsely claiming to be the casino’s cage director, telling the manager to follow the caller’s instructions, the complaint said. Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Records show that Chesebro sent instructions to Ward, Safsten, a Trump campaign official and local attorneys about how to carry out the plan -- including how to seal and transmit envelopes carrying the paperwork. Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Josh Dawsey The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Wallace Fox was a clock puncher, a work-for-hire employee who followed instructions — which might explain his limited Internet footprint. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 When the angler drops the snapper back toward the water’s surface (at the captain’s instruction), another shark suddenly appears. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'instruction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of instruction was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near instruction

Cite this Entry

“Instruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instruction. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

instruction

noun
in·​struc·​tion in-ˈstrək-shən How to pronounce instruction (audio)
1
a
: precept
instructions of ethical behavior
b
: command entry 2 sense 2, order
had instructions not to talk to strangers
c
plural : an outline or set of procedures to be followed : directions
instructions for assembling a rocking chair
d
: a code that tells a computer to perform a particular operation
2
: the action or practice of an instructor or teacher
instructional
-shnəl How to pronounce instruction (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

Legal Definition

instruction

noun
in·​struc·​tion
: an explanation of an applicable principle of law given by a judge to a jury before the jury retires to consider its verdict

called also jury charge, jury instruction

Note: Under both the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, at the close of evidence, or before the close if the court reasonably so directs, any party may file written requests for the instructions to be given to the jury by the court. The court must advise the parties of its decision regarding the instructions prior to closing argument so that the parties may address the instructions during argument. Any objections to the instructions must be made before the jury retires for deliberation.

More from Merriam-Webster on instruction

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