1
as in instruction
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
the company president regularly issues directives intended for all staff members
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decree
an order publicly issued by an authority
a directive issued by the archbishop that is to be read during Sunday services at every parish
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3
as in memorandum
a written communication giving information or directions
a growing stack of unread directives from the company's senior vice president
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of directive
Sarah, Claire’s relentlessly perky robot sidekick, similarly cannot compute why Claire would wish to undermine Sarah’s prime directive, to keep Claire alive.
—
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
The football game directive came about a week after Ingoglia held a press conference criticizing Alachua County — where UF’s campus is located — for excessive or wasteful spending to the tune of $84 million over five years, claiming the budget grew by 77%.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a directive that near-weapons-grade uranium in the country should not be sent abroad, Reuters reported Thursday, citing Iranian sources.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 May 2026
The Supreme Court heard arguments in April, and a majority of the justices appeared poised to invalidate the president's directive.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for directive
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
The football game directive came about a week after Ingoglia held a press conference criticizing Alachua County — where UF’s campus is located — for excessive or wasteful spending to the tune of $84 million over five years, claiming the budget grew by 77%.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a directive that near-weapons-grade uranium in the country should not be sent abroad, Reuters reported Thursday, citing Iranian sources.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 May 2026
The Supreme Court heard arguments in April, and a majority of the justices appeared poised to invalidate the president's directive.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for directive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directive
Noun
-
Fiebig banged their stick against the goal post at one point, frustrated, but continued to shout instruction and encouragement.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
They were briefly allowed to return to their apartment that evening, only to receive instructions to leave again early Friday.—
Eric Licas,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
Noun
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The second decree establishes guidelines for the protection of women in the digital environment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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An outside monitor was assigned to send progress reports to the judge overseeing the decree to ensure the city is complying with it.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Even public messaging about the contents of the proposal, known as the memorandum of understanding (MOU), is underpinned by contradictions — with Washington pushing back against Tehran’s statements that the draft stipulates US forces’ withdrawal and an end to blockades on Iranian ports.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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The memorandum of understanding endorsed earlier this month by the baseball team, the county and the city of Tampa — while nonbinding — was presented as the most pivotal piece of the team’s pitch to date.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The edict that journalists be accompanied at all times while on Pentagon grounds was introduced in March after a judge struck down an earlier set of restrictions.—
Scott Nover,
Washington Post,
18 May 2026
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The Chargers’ last game was a playoff loss to Vrabel’s Patriots, so nothing short of an edict from the NFL probably would have stopped the franchise’s social media team from referencing the Vrabel-Russini controversy.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
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This ruling comes amid a long-running redistricting case over Black voter representation.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
27 May 2026
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The appeal is the latest development in the fallout from last month’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Black-majority district in Louisiana and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act.—
Mark Sherman,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Noun
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That will escape nobody’s notice, because that move still — even now — feels pertinent to West Ham’s issues.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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The program was reposted widely on Youtube and other social media platforms, leading CBS to initially fire off copyright protection notices.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
25 May 2026
Noun
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In order to add Espinal back to the roster, the Dodgers had to clear a 40-man roster spot.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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During a September 2025 interview with the Taco Policy podcast, Talarico noted that his usual go-to taco order is actually a bacon and egg taco on a flour tortilla – another common combination for breakfast taco connoisseurs.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
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The backstory This all started with a man who loved antiques, and a decision to import a church from Vietnam without a clear idea of what to do with it—plus a love story.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
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But accountability requires regular communication regarding how policymakers assess the incoming data and its implications for the economic outlook, as well as the judgements that contribute to their monetary policy decisions.—
Bill English,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directive. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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