early 15c., "to tell, inform, impart knowledge or information," also "furnish with authoritative directions," from Latin instructus, past participle of instruere "arrange, prepare, set in order; inform, teach," literally "to build, erect," from in- "on" (from PIE root *en "in") + struere "to pile, build" (from PIE *streu-, extended form of root *stere- "to spread"). Related: Instructed; instructing.
-ible
word-forming element making adjectives from verbs, borrowed in Middle English from Old French -ible and directly from Latin adjective suffix -ibilis (properly -bilis); see -able.