instruction

noun

Etymology: From Middle English instruccioun, from Old French instruccion, from Latin instructio; equivalent to instruct + -ion.

1. The act of instructing, teaching, or providing with information or knowledge.

   “Students receive instruction in the arts and sciences.”

   “Instruction will be provided on how to handle difficult customers.”

2. An instance of the information or knowledge so furnished.

   “If my instructions may be your guide.”

3. An order or command.

   “Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.”

4. A set of directions provided by a manufacturer for the users of a product or service.
5. The directions given by a client to their lawyer in relation to a particular legal matter, which govern the purpose and scope of their work.

   “I cannot act until I have taken instructions from my client.”

6. A single operation of a processor defined by an instruction set architecture.