Instructable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by the ability to be taught or guided effectively, conveying information clearly and comprehensibly
2. Describing something that can be effectively educated or informed, providing straightforward and clear directives
3. Pertaining to items or subjects that can be readily learned about through teaching or direction

Etymology: "Instructable" is a formation from "instruct" and the suffix "-able," meaning capable of being instructed or taught. The verb "instruct" traces back to Latin "instruere," meaning to build, arrange, or equip, which gave English the sense of furnishing someone with knowledge. The suffix "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis," and English has long used it to form adjectives meaning capable of being or susceptible to the action named by the base verb. The word is a plain, transparent coinage, so its meaning follows directly from its parts: an instructable person or animal is one who can be taught, and an instructable device is one that can be programmed or directed. Its use in English is comparatively modern, and it appears most often in discussions of training animals, teaching students, or programming machines.

Synonyms: teachable, educable, trainable, learnable, coachable

Antonyms: unteachable, incorrigible, inflexible, untrainable, stubborn