guidance

noun guid·ance \ ˈgī-dᵊn(t)s \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: guidance in a Sentence

Definition of guidance

1 : the act or process of guiding

2 a : the direction provided by a guide

couldn't have done it without her guidance

b : advice on vocational or educational problems given to students

provides guidance on how to apply for scholarships

3 : the process of controlling the course of a projectile by a built-in mechanism

problems with the missile's guidance

See guidance defined for English-language learners

See guidance defined for kids

Examples of guidance in a Sentence

I couldn't have done it without her guidance.
We need more guidance on how to handle these unusual cases.

Recent Examples of guidance from the Web

The wide rearview camera with guidance is quite helpful.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Kia Niro PHEV: The future of plug-and-play," 13 July 2018
Too few therapists to meet demand Virtual therapy had been used before to help people overcome a fear of heights, but always with the guidance of a mental health professional, Freeman said.

— NBC News, "Virtual reality helps cure real-life fear of heights, study finds," 11 July 2018
Make your own jewelry creation with the guidance of an expert instructor on Monday, July 16, at 10:30 a.m. The class is free, but all beads and materials must be purchased from the instructor.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The East Hartford Edition," 10 July 2018
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which provides guidance to executive branch agencies, has said sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted while in office.

— mary clare jalonick, The Seattle Times, "Kavanaugh’s views on presidential powers could be flashpoint," 10 July 2018
McHugh, the school social worker, recalls asking administrators to acknowledge the arrests and provide employees with guidance.

— nomaan merchant, Cincinnati.com, "Hunger, fear, desperation: What came of an ordinary ICE raid in Covington," 9 July 2018
But this is best done gradually and with the guidance of a mental health professional.

— ilana strauss, SELF, "I Was Terrified of Falling, So I Tried Parkour," 9 July 2018
Park rangers provided guidance and security for teams from the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BUIST) the Botswana Geoscience Institute University of Botswana's Okavango Research Institute.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "For Just 2nd Time Ever, Meteor Hunters Recover Chunks of Rock They Tracked From Space," 9 July 2018
Long before the internet could be tapped, Ann Landers’ column was a wildly popular resource for guidance and information on personal issues and everyday life.

— bob kostanczuk, Post-Tribune, "Ann Landers’ wit recalled in 'The Lady with All the Answers'," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'guidance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of guidance

see ¹guide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1590

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

guidance Synonyms

Synonyms

admonishment, admonition, advice, counsel, input;

Related Words

recommendation, suggestion;

hint, pointer, tip;

data, feedback, information;

answer, solution;

advisement, consideration, thought;

alarm (also alarum), alert, caution, cautioning, expostulation, forewarning, remonstrance, remonstration, urging, warning;

judgment (or judgement), observation, verdict;

assistance, briefing, coaching, direction, instruction, mentoring, priming, prompting, teaching, tutoring;

interference, kibitzing (also kibbitzing), meddling;

moralizing, pontificating, preaching;

exhortation, lecture, lesson, sermon, speech;

Financial Definition of GUIDANCE

guidance

noun

What It Is

In the stock world, guidance refers to public communication from a company regarding earnings expectations.

How It Works

The world of earnings guidance is large and fluid, whereby the management of publicly traded companies issue public estimates about what they expect earnings to be for the coming quarter. Guidance is based on management's experience, calculations and outlook, and it significantly influences the analysts covering the stock, because the analysts incorporate the information into their own research and earnings forecasts for their clients.

Before August 2000, it was legal for public companies to provide guidance to chosen analysts rather than publicly disclose their guidance. The SEC's adoption of Regulation FD in August 2000 prohibited this selective disclosure of material nonpublic information, and public companies must now publicly disseminate guidance and earnings estimates to analysts all at the same time.

When management becomes aware that the company probably will not meet the expectations it previously communicated, the company typically issues a profit warning via press release or conference call with analysts several weeks before announcing quarterly earnings.

Why It Matters

Guidance considerably influences stock prices because it helps investors evaluate a stock's potential. If investors expect a company to report, say, $0.10 in earnings per share next quarter, but the company actually reports $0.08, many investors might sell the stock and the company's stock price will therefore probably fall after the announcement. Conversely, if the company reports $0.12, the stock price will probably rise. The degree of "miss" or "surprise" influences how much the stock price will change. This is why guidance is usually a company's attempt to "soften the blow" or “fluff the pillows” before announcing earnings.

Some companies do not give guidance. They usually make that choice to reduce legal liability in the event that management's estimates are wrong. Some analysts claim that companies that do not offer any guidance often receive a "break" on stock price changes when these companies miss earnings, because the market is aware that the company's management has given the analysts (and their resulting estimates) no input.

Source: Investing Answers

GUIDANCE Defined for English Language Learners

guidance

noun

Definition of guidance for English Language Learners

: help or advice that tells you what to do : the act or process of guiding someone or something
: the process of controlling the flight of something (such as a missile)