instruit

Instruit is the past participle of the French verb instruire, which means to instruct, educate, or inform. As a participle, instruit appears in compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir. When a direct object precedes the participle, the past participle may agree in gender and number with that object (for example, les élèves qu’il a instruits). If the direct object follows the participle, no agreement occurs (Il a instruit les élèves).

Instruit can also function as an adjective meaning well-educated or knowledgeable. In this adjectival use, it is gendered: masculin singulier instruit, féminin singulier instruite, pluriel instruits (masc) and instruites (fem). The nuance is akin to “learned” or “educated” in English, and it is commonly used in formal writing.

Etymology and related senses: instruit derives from the Latin instruire, meaning to build up, arrange, or supply with instruction. The sense broadened from instruction or education to include the act of informing or equipping someone with knowledge. In modern French, instruire is relatively formal and is often preferred in educational, administrative, or legal contexts.

Usage notes: In everyday spoken French, verbs like enseigner (to teach) or éduquer (to educate) are more common for ordinary instruction. In legal terminology, instruire has a specialized sense related to investigating or processing a case, with l’instruction referring to the investigation stage conducted by the judiciary.

See also: instruire, instruction, éducateur, éducation.