Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To give orders to; direct.
  • intransitive verb To provide with knowledge; to train or inform: synonym: teach.
  • intransitive verb To serve as an instructor.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To put in order; form; prepare; guide.
  • To impart knowledge or information to; inform; teach; specifically, to train in knowledge or skill; teach or educate methodically.
  • To direct or command; furnish with orders or directions: as, to instruct an envoy or a body of delegates.
  • To notify; apprise.
  • In Scots law, to adduce evidence in support of; confirm; vouch; verify: as, to instruct a claim against a bankrupt estate.
  • Furnished; equipped.
  • Instructed; taught.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To put in order; to form; to prepare.
  • transitive verb To form by communication of knowledge; to inform the mind of; to impart knowledge or information to; to enlighten; to teach; to discipline.
  • transitive verb To furnish with directions; to advise; to direct; to command.
  • adjective obsolete Arranged; furnished; provided.
  • adjective obsolete Instructed; taught; enlightened.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To teach or direct; to give instructions.
  • noun obsolete Instruction.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb impart skills or knowledge to
  • verb make aware of
  • verb give instructions or directions for some task

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English instructen, from Latin īnstruere, īnstrūct-, to prepare, instruct : in-, on; see in– + struere, to build; see ster- in Indo-European roots.]

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