other-directed

American  

[uhth-er-di-rek-tid, -dahy-] / ˈʌð ər dɪˈrɛk tɪd, -daɪ- /

adjective

1. guided by a set of values that is derived from current trends or outward influences rather than from within oneself.

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other-directed British  

adjective

1. guided by values derived from external influences Compare inner-directed

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Other Word Forms

• other-directedness noun
• other-direction noun

Etymology

Origin of other-directed

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

John Keats couldn’t have better described a woman whose love is true, headlong, self-emptying and completely other-directed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Wonder is other-directed and brings with it the possibility of love, of willing the good of the other.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

She was so other-directed that she was unable to manage her time well, always felt "overwhelmed" and was totally unable to see the big picture and think strategically.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2013

Grant is the ultimate other-directed figure, who wants to be loved rather than esteemed, while Firth is inner-directed and looks back to a much older, more grounded tradition.

From The Guardian • Sep. 25, 2010

Plainly, the husband is inner-directed, the wife is tradition-directed, and the poor little girl is other-directed but not well liked.

From Time Magazine Archive