Directoire

American  

[dee-rek-twar] / di rɛkˈtwar /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to the style of French furnishings and decoration of the mid-1790s, characterized by an increasing use of Greco-Roman forms along with an introduction, toward the end, of Egyptian motifs: usually includes the Consulate period.

2. (of costume) in the style of the period of the French Directory.

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noun

1. French History. directory.

Directoire British  

/ dirɛktwar /

noun

1. history the French Directory See Directory

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adjective

1. of, in, or relating to a decorative style of the end of the 18th century in France; a form of neoclassicism

2. characteristic of women's dress during the French Directory, typically an almost transparent dress with the waistline under the bust

Etymology

Origin of Directoire

From French; see origin at directory

Example Sentences

That gave the production its look, with costumes “from the Directoire period, roughly speaking, and a real sense of gothic decay,” McVicar said.

From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2022

The bones of Mabille’s apartment allude to that so-called Directoire style.

From New York Times • May 31, 2018

At Frank Partridge, there’s a gaudy, repellent yet fascinating Directoire ormolu mantel clock made in France in 1795.

From New York Times • Oct. 16, 2014

I am often struck by the historical parallels of the Directoire and the First Consulate.

From Time Magazine Archive

The next year the second coalition was formed, and the Directoire applied to the Belgian departments the new law of conscription.

From Belgium From the Roman Invasion to the Present Day by Cammaerts, Emile