instruction
n. C / Un. a piece of information that tells you how to do something. It can also mean the act of teaching someone a skill.
n. a direction or order given to be followed; also the act or process of teaching or providing knowledge. In a technical context, it refers to a single operation performed by a computer processor.
Please read the instruction before you start the machine.
The teacher gave a clear instruction on how to complete the science experiment safely.
The software architecture allows the processor to execute a complex instruction in a single clock cycle, significantly improving the overall efficiency of the system.
From Middle English instruccioun, from Old French instruccion, from Latin instructio; equivalent to instruct + -ion.
Countable when referring to specific directions (often plural: 'instructions'); uncountable when referring to the act of teaching.
he gave me an instructionhe gave me instructionsWhen referring to a set of directions for a task, learners often use the singular 'instruction' instead of the more natural plural 'instructions'.