Instructions vs. Directions — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Instructions and Directions
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Compare with Definitions
Instructions
The act, practice, or profession of instructing
Math instruction.
Directions
The management, supervision, or guidance of a group or operation
The manager's direction of the sales campaign has been highly effective.
Instructions
Imparted knowledge
We sought further instruction in a more advanced class.
Directions
The art or action of directing a musical, theatrical, or cinematic production.
Instructions
An imparted or acquired item of knowledge
The judge gave the jury an instruction in how the law defines an accomplice.
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Directions
An authoritative order or command
The supervisor shouted directions to employees in the warehouse.
Instructions
Often instructions An authoritative direction to be obeyed; an order
Had instructions to be home by midnight.
Directions
(Music) A word or phrase in a score indicating how a passage is to be played or sung.
Instructions
Instructions Detailed directions about how to do something
Read the instructions for assembly.
Directions
Directions Instructions in how to do something or reach a destination
Read the directions before assembling the grill.
Asked for directions in how to get to the lake.
Instructions
(Computers) 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.
Directions
The course along which a person or thing is moving or must move to reach a destination
The boat left the bay and sailed in a northerly direction.
Instructions
Plural of instruction
Directions
The point toward which a person or thing faces or is oriented
The twins stood back to back, looking in opposite directions.
Instructions
A manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it
Directions
A course or line of development; a tendency toward a particular end or goal
Charting a new direction for the company.
Directions
Plural of direction
Directions
Instructions for how to reach a destination or how to do something
Please follow the attached directions when assembling these shelves.
I got so lost on my way downtown I had to ask for directions.
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