to furnish with knowledge, especially 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.
Origin of instruct
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin instructus, past participle of instruere “to equip, train, set in order,” equivalent to in- “in” + struc- (variant stem of struere “to put together”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in-2
in·struct·ed·ly,adverbin·struct·ed·ness,nounin·struct·i·ble,adjectivemis·in·struct,verb (used with object)
o·ver·in·struct,verb (used with object)pre·in·struct,verb (used with object)qua·si-in·struct·ed,adjectivere·in·struct,verb (used with object)self-in·struct·ed,adjectiveself-in·struct·ing,adjectiveun·in·struct·i·ble,adjectiveun·in·struct·ing,adjectivewell-in·struct·ed,adjective
Words nearby instruct
in stock, in-store, instr., in stride, instroke, instruct, instruction, instructions, instructive, instructor, instructress
Then you are instructed to lie on a hard bed—it looks like a sun bed.
The first murder|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
A spokesman for Police Chief Dave Nisleit said he’s instructed officers, in the meantime, to stop writing seditious language tickets.
Morning Report: SDPD Says It Will Stop Seditious Language Tickets|Voice of San Diego|August 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
San Diego Police Chief Dave Nisleit has instructed officers to stop enforcing a century-old law that forbids “seditious language” as elected officials begin the process of repealing it.
SDPD Says it Will Stop Enforcing Seditious Language Law|Kate Nucci|August 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Then the nurses track down and notify the person’s contacts who’ve potentially been exposed to the virus and instruct them how to quarantine.
The U.S. largely wasted time bought by COVID-19 lockdowns. Now what?|Jonathan Lambert|July 1, 2020|Science News
Public agencies across California are now required to rewrite policies and instruct their officers that it is only reasonable to take a life in defense against an imminent physical threat.
MTS Says Its Officers Aren’t Bound by New State Use-of-Force Law|Jesse Marx and Lisa Halverstadt|June 25, 2020|Voice of San Diego
I had my 14-year-old daughter, Poppet, instruct me in how to watch an episode of Girls on my computer.
Up to a Point: They Made Me Write About Lena Dunham|P. J. O’Rourke|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The Commission did not instruct Mr. Wright to approve inaccurate wellbore completion reports,” according to the letter.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.|David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sanford informs that he plans to get a lawyer, whom he will “instruct… not to fight back.”
Mark Sanford’s Epic Facebook Overshare|Olivia Nuzzi|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In El Reno, when you order a hamburger, an onion-fried burger is assumed, unless you instruct the cook to leave the onions out.
The Most American Pit Stop in the U.S.A.|Jane & Michael Stern|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course, every society needs a clerical class, to instruct the young and maintain cultural standards.
Watch What You Say, The New Liberal Power Elite Won’t Tolerate Dissent|Joel Kotkin|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The agreeable resources of Paris must certainly please and instruct every class of characters.
The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson Compiled From Family Letters and Reminiscences|Sarah N. Randolph
It is not enough to clothe and feed the body of this Nation, and instruct and inform its mind.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches|Various
If you want to instruct saints, you must bring them back to the truth you have received, what God gave at the beginning.
Elijah the Tishbite|C. (Charles) H. (Henry) Mackintosh
Instruct them to pick up the most trivial items of information concerning him.
Christopher Quarles|Percy James Brebner
"And now I am going to instruct you in the art of making tea," he said proudly.
Happy Pollyooly|Edgar Jepson
British Dictionary definitions for instruct
instruct
/ (ɪnˈstrʌkt) /
verb(tr)
to direct to do something; order
to teach (someone) how to do (something)
to furnish with information; apprise
law, mainlyBritish
(esp of a client to his solicitor or a solicitor to a barrister) to give relevant facts or information to
to authorize (a barrister or solicitor) to conduct a case on a person's behalfto instruct counsel
Derived forms of instruct
instructible, adjective
Word Origin for instruct
C15: from Latin instruere to construct, set in order, equip, teach, from struere to build