instruct
[verb]
Synonyms:
- order, bid, charge, command, direct, enjoin, tell
- teach, coach, drill, educate, ground, school, train, tutor

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Related Words: acquaint, apprise, inform, engineer, guide, lead, pilot, steer, assign, define, prescribe

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English Thesaurus: order, tell, give orders/instructions, command, instruct, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

in‧struct AC /ɪnˈstrʌkt/ verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: instruction, instructor; adjective: instructive, instructional; verb: instruct; adverb: instructively]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of instruere, from struere 'to build']

1. to officially tell someone what to do ⇒ order
instruct somebody to do something
His secretary was instructed to cancel all his engagements.
instruct (somebody) that
The judge immediately instructed that Beattie be released.
Eva went straight to the hotel, as instructed (=as she had been told).
instruct somebody what to do
He had instructed the slaves what to say when questioned.

2. formal to teach someone something, or show them how to do something
instruct somebody in something
Greater effort is needed to instruct children in road safety.
instruct somebody how to do something
Employees are instructed how to make a complaint.

3. [usually passive] British English formal to officially tell someone about something
instruct somebody that
I was instructed that £20,000 had been paid into my account.

4. British English law to employ a lawyer to represent you in court

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

instruct
verb
ADV. carefully | explicitly, specifically You were explicitly instructed to wait here.
PHRASES as instructed I took the pills as instructed.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

order to tell someone that they must do something, using your official power or authority:
A policeman ordered him to stop.
He ordered his men to put down their weapons.
‘Don’t move,’ he ordered.
tell to say to someone that they must do something:
Stop telling me what to do!
The headmaster told me to wait outside his office.
give orders/instructions to tell someone exactly what they must do:
The police chief gave orders to shoot.
The doctor gave instructions that she should rest as much as possible.
command used about a high-ranking person such as a general, captain, or king ordering someone to do something:
The general commanded the troops to fall back.
They believe that the Lord has commanded them to do this.
instruct formal to tell someone to do something, especially when you tell them exactly how it should be done:
The architect was instructed to keep the plans simple.
She took three tablets every day, as instructed by her doctor.
direct to give someone an official or legal order to do something:
The judge directed the jury to find her not guilty.
subpoena /səˈpiːnə, səb-/ to officially order someone to appear in a court of law in order to answer questions:
Another three of the President’s advisors were subpoenaed.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

teach to give lessons in a school, college, or university:
I taught for a year in France.
He teaches physics at York University.
lecture to teach in a college or university by giving talks to groups of students on a subject:
He lectures in engineering at a local college.
instruct formal to teach someone how to do something, especially a particular practical skill:
He was instructing them how to use the computer system.
Staff are instructed in how to respond in the event of a fire.
tutor to teach one student or a small group:
I found work tutoring Mexican students in English.
coach especially British English to give private lessons, especially so that someone can pass an important test:
He coaches students for their university entrance exams.
train to teach a person or group of people in the particular skills or knowledge they need to do a job:
It will take at least a month to train the new assistant.
educate to teach someone over a long period, usually at school or university:
He was educated in England.
Her parents want to educate her at home.
show somebody the ropes informal to show someone how to do a job or task that they have just started doing:
Miss McGinley will show you the ropes and answer any questions you may have.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

teacher someone who teaches as their job, especially in a school:
a high school teacher
principal (also headteacher British English) the teacher who is in charge of a school or college:
The teacher sent him to the principal’s office.
tutor someone who gives private lessons to one student or a small group of students. In Britain, a tutor is also a teacher in a university:
They hired a tutor to help him with his English.
Your tutor will help you find a subject for your essay.
lecturer someone who teaches in a university or college:
University lecturers aren’t very well paid.
professor a teacher in a college or university. In Britain, a professor is a high-ranking university teacher, especially one who is head of a department:
She was professor of linguistics at Cambridge University.
instructor someone who teaches a sport or a practical skill such as swimming or driving:
He works as a ski instructor in the winter.
a driving instructor
coach someone who helps a person or team improve in a sport:
a professional tennis coach
educator especially American English formal someone whose job involves teaching people, or someone who is an expert on education:
Most educators agree that class sizes are still too big.
trainer someone who teaches people particular skills, especially the skills they need to do a job:
a teacher trainer
Many companies pay outside trainers to teach management skills to their staff.
governess a woman who lived with a family and taught their children in past times:
As a governess, Charlotte Brontë received twenty pounds a year.
teach to give lessons in a school, college, or university:
I taught for a year in France.
He teaches physics at York University.
lecture to teach in a college or university by giving talks to groups of students on a subject:
He lectures in engineering at a local college.
instruct formal to teach someone how to do something, especially a particular practical skill:
He was instructing them how to use the computer system.
Staff are instructed in how to respond in the event of a fire.
train to teach a person or group of people in the particular skills or knowledge they need to do a job:
It will take at least a month to train the new assistant.
educate to teach someone over a long period, usually at school or university:
He was educated in England.
Her parents want to educate her at home.
show somebody the ropes informal to show someone how to do a job or task that they have just started doing:
Miss McGinley will show you the ropes and answer any questions you may have.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲