Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

in·struc·tion       (ĭn-strŭk'shən)  Pronunciation Key  n.   The act, practice, or profession of instructing. Imparted knowledge. An imparted or acquired item of knowledge; a lesson. An authoritative direction to be obeyed; an order. Often used in the plural: had instructions to be home by midnight. instructions Detailed directions on procedure: read the instructions for assembly. Computer Science A sequence of bits that tells a central processing unit to perform a particular operation and can contain data to be used in the operation. An authoritative direction to be obeyed; an order. Often used in the plural: had instructions to be home by midnight. instructions Detailed directions on procedure: read the instructions for assembly. in·struc'tion·al adj.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
instruction 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

instruction
noun
1.	a message describing how something is to be done; "he gave directions faster than she could follow them" [syn: direction]
2.	the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill; "he received no formal education"; "our instruction was carefully programmed"; "good classroom teaching is seldom rewarded" [syn: education]
3.	the profession of a teacher; "he prepared for teaching while still in college"; "pedagogy is recognized as an important profession" [syn: teaching]
4.	(computer science) a line of code written as part of a computer program

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

instruction       (ĭn-strŭk'shən)  Pronunciation Key  A sequence of bits that tells a computer's central processing unit to perform a particular operation. An instruction can also contain data to be used in the operation.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Instruction

Ed`u*ca"tion\ (?; 135), n. [L. educatio; cf. F. ['e]ducation.] The act or process of educating; the result of educating, as determined by the knowledge skill, or discipline of character, acquired; also, the act or process of training by a prescribed or customary course of study or discipline; as, an education for the bar or the pulpit; he has finished his education.

To prepare us for complete living is the function which education has to discharge. --H. Spenser.

Syn: Education, Instruction, Teaching, Training, Breeding.

Usage: Education, properly a drawing forth, implies not so much the communication of knowledge as the discipline of the intellect, the establishment of the principles, and the regulation of the heart. Instruction is that part of education which furnishes the mind with knowledge. Teaching is the same, being simply more familiar. It is also applied to practice; as, teaching to speak a language; teaching a dog to do tricks. Training is a department of education in which the chief element is exercise or practice for the purpose of imparting facility in any physical or mental operation. Breeding commonly relates to the manners and outward conduct.