Guidance Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms guidance American [gahyd-ns] / ˈgaɪd ns /

noun

1. the act or function of guiding; leadership; direction.

   Synonyms: government, control, supervision, conduct, management

2. advice or counseling, especially that provided for students choosing a course of study or preparing for a vocation.

3. supervised care or assistance, especially therapeutic help in the treatment of minor emotional disturbances.

4. something that guides.

5. the process by which the flight of a missile or rocket may be altered in speed and direction in response to controls situated either wholly in the projectile or partly at a base.

guidance British / ˈɡaɪdəns /

noun

1. leadership, instruction, or direction

2. 1. counselling or advice on educational, vocational, or psychological matters

   2. ( as modifier )

      the marriage-guidance counsellor

3. something that guides

4. any process by which the flight path of a missile is controlled in flight See also guided missile

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• nonguidance noun
• preguidance noun
• self-guidance noun

Etymology

Origin of guidance

First recorded in 1765–75; guide + -ance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said, up until now, he could live through a projected near double-digit decline in revenue, given the momentum of the launch of oral Wegovy as well as his belief that the guidance was conservative.

From MarketWatch

Importers are waiting for official guidance from Customs and Border Protection to see the rate of those tariffs and when they go into effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

While airlines have said flights could resume as early as Tuesday, many travelers are still struggling to get clear guidance on rebooking.

From MarketWatch

The telehealth platform expects its growth to continue this year, though its first quarter guidance came in short of Wall Street’s expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Those anchored in religion or heritage may find guidance in old customs, but the author and her family, like so many others, appear to have only shallow connections to disparate, disconnected notions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advice
• direction
• instruction
• intelligence
• leadership
• management
• navigation
• supervision
• teaching

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.