directive
Americannoun
adjective
-
tending to direct; directing
-
indicating direction
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of directive
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word dīrēctīvus. See direct, -ive
Explanation
A directive is an order or official notice that comes from an authority. The directive from your boss instructing all employees to wear silly hats on Fridays might be hard to take seriously. Directives often come from employers, governments, supervisors, judges, or other authority figures. A math teacher might issue a directive to all students banning smart phones in the classroom after the school principal releases a directive instructing all math teachers to find ways to cut down on cheating during exams. Directive is also an adjective, meaning "helping to guide or manage."
Vocabulary lists containing directive
"When Do Kids Become Adults?" by Laurence Steinberg, et al.
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The Nazi Hunters
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The Unteachables
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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.
See Examples For:
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary directive ordering inspections on more than 450 US 737 MAX jets over potential faulty installation of passenger seats.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security had not issued final specific plans to comply with Trump’s directive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
ICE leadership can say the White House reversed its directive.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
His wife, Linda, age 88, says filling out a dementia directive was an opportunity for her family to discuss Bob’s wishes and agree on his care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
The soldier repeated the directive, his voice more agitated.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
"We give site owners clear controls to decide whether pages can be crawled or indexed, and we always respect those directives."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Make sure to update your beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, healthcare directives and will.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Institutional judgment becomes meaningless when operational directives can be rewritten on a whim overnight.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
The directives also require the companies to remove the millions of pounds of rotting food inside the warehouse within 45 days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
But, as Shin found out, they are quite willing to ignore national directives when presented with an industrious North Korean who keeps his mouth shut and works hard for sixty cents a day.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
