Meaning & use
instructable
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Meaning
adjectivecomparablerare
Able to be taught or trained, especially willing and fit to receive instruction.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: an instructable child, the dog is instructable.
Patterns
- be instructable
- an instructable animal
The puppy was bright and instructable and learned commands in days.
Not every beginner is equally instructable on the first day.
She found the young apprentices instructable and eager.
Word forms
| comparative | more instructable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most instructable |
Common combinations
- highly instructable
- The students were highly instructable and learned quickly.
- instructable child
- He was a curious, instructable child.
- instructable animal
- Dolphins are among the most instructable animals.
- remain instructable
- Adults can remain instructable throughout their lives.
Synonyms and how they differ
- teachable
- Teachable is the more common word and more often describes a person's attitude, while instructable is rarer and a bit formal.
- trainable
- Trainable fits animals and workers that can be taught specific routines.
- docile
- Docile means easy to control and may suggest passivity, not necessarily the ability to learn.
- receptive
- Receptive means open to new ideas and does not guarantee the person will master them.
Opposites
Word family
- instruct verb
- to teach or give orders
- instruction noun
- teaching or a direction
- instructor noun
- a teacher of a practical skill
- instructive adjective
- providing useful information
Commonly confused: instructable or instructive?
instructable vs instructive
Instructive describes something that teaches, such as an instructive example, while instructable describes someone who can be taught.
Practice
A trainer would call a dog instructable if it ____.
Choose one answer.
Instructable means able to be taught, so an instructable dog learns commands easily. The other options describe behavior unrelated to learning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “instructable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.