director general

noun

, plural directors general.

1. the executive head of an organization or of a major subdivision, as a branch or agency, of government.

director-general

noun

1. the head of a large organization such as the CBI or BBC

Word History and Origins

Origin of director general¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Now her left-wing Podemos Party is in power in Spain, and she’s holding her government accountable to its promises, as director general for equality of treatment and ethnic-racial diversity at the country’s Ministry of Equality.

From Ozy

“As far as I know, we have not received anything so far,” said Dr Nutan Mundeja, director general of health services, Delhi government.

From Quartz

The World Health Organization promised to do “everything we can” after its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the situation as “beyond heartbreaking.”

From MIT Technology Review

The WHO’s director general later walked that statement back, claiming that “all hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and studies.”

From MIT Technology Review

Prime Minister Abe is not only the leader of Japan, he is also the Director-General—the sosai —of the LDP.

From The Daily Beast

The Director General said he suspected the skulls [were] from the Congo.

From The Daily Beast

So did Avigdor Lieberman, director-general of the Prime Minister's Office during part of Netanyahu's first term.

From The Daily Beast

Pervez Musharraf made him director general of the ISI in 2004.

From The Daily Beast

March 19, 2012: Thompson announces he will leave the BBC the coming fall after eight years as director general.

From The Daily Beast

During the peace he continued in military employment, and in 1719 he was made director-general of cavalry and dragoons.

From Project Gutenberg

At the end of my first year as director general I had not made one-tenth the progress I had hoped for.

From Project Gutenberg

He believed, if he could get an interview with the Medical Director-General, he could convince him of its merits.

From Project Gutenberg

On my arrival I found M. Necker Director-general of the finances, in the first bloom of power and popularity.

From Project Gutenberg

The director-general retained the right to preside at meetings.

From Project Gutenberg