instruct

verb

in·​struct in-ˈstrəkt 

instructed; instructing; instructs

transitive verb

1

: to give knowledge to : teach, train

2

: to provide with authoritative information or advice

the judge instructed the jury

3

: to give an order or command to : direct

Synonyms

• educate
• indoctrinate
• lesson
• school
• teach
• train
• tutor

Choose the Right Synonym for instruct

teach, instruct, educate, train, discipline, school mean to cause to acquire knowledge or skill.

teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn.

taught us a lot about our planet

instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching.

instructs raw recruits in military drill

educate implies development of the mind.

more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person

train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view.

trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft

discipline implies training in habits of order and precision.

a disciplined mind

school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master.

schooled the horse in five gaits

command, order, bid, enjoin, direct, instruct, charge mean to issue orders.

command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality.

command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about

bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality.

directed her assistant to hold all calls

the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark

charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

Examples of instruct in a Sentence

She instructed us that we were to remain in our seats.

The judge instructed the jury that they should disregard the testimony of the last witness.

She advised him to instruct a solicitor.

Recent Examples on the Web

That clause, the Supreme Court had instructed, requires criminal classifications to be at least minimally reasonable. —David Pozen, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024

And many enthusiasts, rather than buy the finished product, buy the patterns, which typically range from $2 to $10, that instruct them in crafting the items themselves. —Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 24 Apr. 2024

Scammers then instruct the victim to wire that money internationally, withdraw it in cash and have couriers pick it up, or transfer it into a cryptocurrency. —Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024

The couriers were instructed to say that the items were gifts for their relatives if they were asked any questions by customs agents. —Joshua Goodman, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024

Sweetgreen has an app that instructs employees exactly how to heat and prepare food, and McDonald’s cooks beef patties for precisely 42 seconds. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

The map, reviewed by The Post, appears to have been made in Google Maps and has a clear blue line, instructing the ambulance drivers to follow an indirect route that avoided much of the evacuation area. —Cate Brown, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024

The voice instructed them to place the bars in a cardboard box and hand them over to a man who would take the gold to Washington, D.C., where it would be stored for them in a secure bank, according to investigators. —Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2024

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is forcefully instructing federal agencies and employees that NDAs do not supersede whistleblower rights. —Joe Davidson, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin instructus, past participle of instruere, from in- + struere to build — more at structure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

instruct

verb

in·​struct in-ˈstrəkt 

1

: to give knowledge to : teach

the tutor instructs him in math

2

: to give information to : inform

instructed us that the cafeteria was downstairs

3

: to give directions or commands to

instructed her to arrive promptly

Legal Definition

instruct

transitive verb

in·​struct

: to provide (a jury) with explanation and directions regarding the law applicable to a case

the judge instructed the jury that the plaintiff bears the burden of proof

the jury was instructed to ignore the attorney's comments

intransitive verb

: to give instructions to a jury

the trial judge refused to instruct on manslaughter

—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.