directional

[dih-rek-shuh-nl, dahy-]

adjective

of, relating to, or indicating direction in space.
Radio. adapted for determining the direction of signals received, or for transmitting signals in a given direction: a directional antenna.
of, relating to, or providing guidance or leadership.

Origin of directional

First recorded in 1605–15; direction + -al¹

Related formsdi·rec·tion·al·i·ty, noundi·rec·tion·al·ly, adverbun·di·rec·tion·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for directional

Contemporary Examples of directional

Less than 24 hours after the news leaked, all directional jokes have officially been cracked.
North West: Behind Kim and Kanye’s Odd Baby Name Choice
Pamela Redmond Satran/Nameberry, Linda Rosenkrantz
June 21, 2013
In Milan, one of the most directional designers in recent seasons has been Raf Simons of Jil Sander.
Milan’s Day-Glo Exuberance
Robin Givhan
September 26, 2011
I was very determined to make it fashion-forward and directional and relevant.
MTV's Mr. Nice Guy
Enid Portuguez
April 26, 2010
Historical destinies are directional, not precisely preordained.
America Hits the Reset Button
Kurt Andersen
July 28, 2009

Historical Examples of directional

But we can't control the directional and dimensional scope of the warp.
Circus
Alan Edward Nourse
The words spoke clearly in his mind but there was no directional source.
Cry from a Far Planet
Tom Godwin
And turning to Directional Stability, she politely asked him what he preferred to do.
The Aeroplane Speaks
H. Barber
Maybe they could get a directional fix on his signal and home on it.
Way of a Rebel
Walter M. Miller
The directional pattern of the country's foreign trade has conformed to the general observation that trade follows aid.
Area Handbook for Albania
Eugene K. Keefe

British Dictionary definitions for directional

directional

adjective

of or relating to a spatial direction
electronics
1. having or relating to an increased sensitivity to radio waves, sound waves, nuclear particles, etc, coming from a particular direction
2. (of an aerial) transmitting or receiving radio waves more effectively in some directions than in others
physics electronics
1. concentrated in, following, or producing motion in a particular direction
2. indicating direction
indicating the direction something, such as a fashion trend, might takedirectional fashion looks

Derived Formsdirectionality, noun

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