instruction

instruction — noun

1. a direct statement from a person in authority telling someone what they must do

1.nounB1
Definition

a direct statement from a person in authority telling someone what they must do or not do

Example

Captain Okonkwo gave his soldiers a clear instruction to hold their position until dawn.

instruction + to-infinitive for describing orders

The head teacher's instruction that everyone wear school uniforms was posted on the notice board.

instruction + that-clause

Common collocations
  • give an instruction
  • receive an instruction
  • carry out an instruction
  • obey an instruction
  • ignore an instruction
  • strict instruction
  • written instruction
  • clear instruction
Synonyms
  • order

    more informal and more general; can refer to anything from a parent's request to a military command

  • command

    stronger authority, commonly used in military or emergency contexts

  • directive

    more formal, often used in organisational or political contexts

Antonyms
  • suggestion

    a suggestion is optional; an instruction must be obeyed

  • request

    a request asks politely; an instruction demands compliance

Grammar Patterns

instruction + to-infinitive

instruction + that-clause

instruction + about/how + clause

Usage Note

Countable noun in this sense — an instruction is one specific order. Frequently used with a possessive noun or pronoun showing who gave the order (the manager's instruction, her instruction).

Common Mistakes

The manager gave instruction to start the project.
The manager gave an instruction to start the project.
When instruction means an order, it is a countable noun and needs a determiner such as a or the.
She gave me instruction to finish the report by Friday.
She gave me an instruction to finish the report by Friday.
Without the determiner, the sentence sounds like the teaching sense (sense 3).

2. written or printed details that explain how to use a product, do a task, or foll

2.nounA2
Definition

written or printed details that explain how to use a product, do a task, or follow a procedure

Example

Mizuki read the instruction on the box carefully before assembling her new wooden bookshelf.

instruction on [product] — typical pattern for product usage

The instruction manual for this rice cooker is written in Japanese, English, and Thai.

instruction manual (common compound noun)

Common collocations
  • follow the instructions
  • read the instructions
  • instruction manual
  • instruction booklet
  • instruction leaflet
  • set of instructions
  • step-by-step instructions
  • instructions for use
Synonyms
  • directions

    more informal; often used for routes, recipes, or simple assembly tasks

  • guidelines

    less rigid and more advisory; suggest a general approach rather than enforced steps

  • manual

    a book or booklet containing instructions, not the instructions themselves

Grammar Patterns

instructions + for + noun/gerund

instructions + on + noun/gerund

instructions + about + noun/clause

Usage Note

Usually appears in plural form (instructions) when referring to the steps for doing something. Common in compound nouns: instruction manual, instruction booklet, instruction leaflet. The singular form may appear in phrases such as 'instruction for use' or 'instruction on the packet'.

Common Mistakes

Please read the instruction before using the machine.
Please read the instructions before using the machine.
In this sense, the plural form instructions is the standard way to refer to a set of how-to steps.

3. the process of teaching someone a particular skill, subject, or area of knowledg

3.nounB2
Definition

the process of teaching someone a particular skill, subject, or area of knowledge

Example

The community centre offers instruction in both classical piano and modern jazz dance.

instruction in [subject] — standard preposition pattern

Private swimming instruction helped Otis overcome his fear of deep water at the local pool.

Common collocations
  • receive instruction
  • provide instruction
  • offer instruction
  • formal instruction
  • one-to-one instruction
  • practical instruction
  • instruction in [subject]
Synonyms
  • teaching

    more general and less formal; the everyday word for showing someone how to do something

  • training

    more practical and skill-focused; often used for hands-on or professional development contexts

  • tuition

    more specific to individual or small-group paid teaching, especially in British English

  • education

    broader and more systematic; refers to the entire system of learning over time

Grammar Patterns

instruction + in + noun/gerund

instruction + on + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Uncountable noun in this sense — do not use a or an before it, and do not make it plural. Often followed by the preposition in (instruction in mathematics) or on (instruction on safety procedures). More formal than teaching; common in educational and professional contexts.

Common Mistakes

She gave me an instruction on how to paint.
She gave me instruction on how to paint.
In the teaching sense, instruction is uncountable, so do not add a or an.
The instructions in this school are very good.' (meaning teaching quality)
The instruction in this school is very good.
Use the singular uncountable form when referring to the teaching process.

4. one basic step in a computer program, written in code so that the processor can

4.nounB2
Definition

one basic step in a computer program, written in code so that the processor can carry out a specific action

Example

The programmer wrote a single instruction that stopped the system from crashing during testing.

single instruction (countable noun in IT context)

Each machine-code instruction is stored in memory as a binary value of ones and zeros.

machine-code instruction (technical compound noun)

Common collocations
  • execute an instruction
  • store an instruction
  • load an instruction
  • machine-code instruction
  • program instruction
  • processor instruction
  • loop instruction
  • jump instruction
Synonyms
  • command

    in computing, a command is usually given by a user; an instruction runs at the processor level

  • operation

    broader term for any action a computer performs, not necessarily a single line of code

Grammar Patterns

instruction + to-infinitive

instruction + that-clause

Usage Note

Countable noun in this sense — each instruction is a discrete line or step in a program. Common collocations: execute an instruction, store an instruction, jump instruction, branch instruction. Not interchangeable with the computing sense of command, which typically refers to user input rather than processor-level operations.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Instructions, directions, guidelines, manual, and recipe all tell you how to do something, but they differ in format and level of detail. Instructions is the most general word for step-by-step guidance on using a product or performing a task ('follow the instructions on the packet'). Directions are more informal and often involve navigating a route or simple assembly ('Can you give me directions to the station?'). Guidelines are less rigid — they suggest a general approach without enforcing every step ('school guidelines on internet safety'). A manual is a physical or digital book containing a complete set of instructions for operating or repairing something ('consult the user manual'). A recipe is specific to cooking and baking, listing ingredients and steps. For everyday how-to contexts, instructions is the safest and most natural choice.

instructionsdirectionsguidelinesmanual ↗recipe ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • follow instructions
  • give instructions
  • provide instructions
  • receive instructions
  • issue instructions
  • carry out instructions
  • obey instructions
  • ignore instructions

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Instruction entered English through Old French from Latin instructio, based on the verb instruere — a combination of in- ('in, into, upon') and struere ('to build, pile, arrange'). The original Latin meaning was 'to build in, to set up, to arrange', and it gradually shifted to 'to teach, to equip with knowledge' — since teaching was seen as building knowledge into a person's mind. The specific computing sense emerged in the mid-20th century with the development of digital computers.