instruction

/ɪnˈstrʌkʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈstrʌkʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈstrək-shən/ (ame, mw)

instruction — noun

  • instructionsingular
  • instructionsplural

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

1.名詞B1
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • suggestion

    a suggestion is optional; an instruction must be obeyed

  • request

    a request asks politely; an instruction demands compliance

文法句型

instruction + to-infinitive

instruction + that-clause

instruction + about/how + clause

用法筆記

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).

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞A2
釋義

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

例句

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)

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

instructions + for + noun/gerund

instructions + on + noun/gerund

instructions + about + noun/clause

用法筆記

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'.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

instruction + in + noun/gerund

instruction + on + noun/gerund

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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)

同義詞
  • 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

文法句型

instruction + to-infinitive

instruction + that-clause

用法筆記

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.