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
What the report found In response to the allegations in Minnesota, Abbott issued six directives to the state workforce and human services commissions to identify if Texas had a problem with improper payments, specifically with fraud.
—
Jess Huff, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The transposition of the directive into law across the EU has seen some territories impose obligations around investment in local productions, as well as introduce clauses to protect producer independence and ring-fence rights.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
Zibolski’s facial recognition directive, which is dated Friday and went into effect immediately, states that only the criminal investigation division at the Fargo Police Department will use facial recognition to identify suspects.
—April Baumgarten, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
Yaroslavsky said her effort is separate but complementary to the mayor’s executive directive.
—City News Service, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directive
Jess Huff, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The transposition of the directive into law across the EU has seen some territories impose obligations around investment in local productions, as well as introduce clauses to protect producer independence and ring-fence rights.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
Zibolski’s facial recognition directive, which is dated Friday and went into effect immediately, states that only the criminal investigation division at the Fargo Police Department will use facial recognition to identify suspects.
—April Baumgarten, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
Yaroslavsky said her effort is separate but complementary to the mayor’s executive directive.
—City News Service, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directive
Noun
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More than 7 million student loan borrowers who have been enrolled in a Biden-era repayment plan will receive notices beginning Friday with instructions to seek a new plan to repay their debt, the Education Department said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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The candy bars, which are likely to be circulated in unofficial sales channels across Europe, can be identified by a unique batch code assigned to individual bars and when scanned would relay instructions on how to contact KitKat, the company said.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Certain signs, such as the recent decree by the municipal authorities of Damascus confining the sale of alcohol to Christian neighborhoods, are ominous.—
Alvaro Vargas Llosa,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Noboa last year issued a decree blacklisting Hezbollah and Palestinian militant group Hamas as terrorist organizations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On Tuesday, Syre announced a memorandum of understanding with ABB, the Swedish-Swiss tech giant that specializes in electrification and automation—both critical to running the plant.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
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The partnership comes as Barunson E&A has been broadening its involvement in earlier-stage development, most recently through a memorandum of understanding with Studio N to develop projects rooted in webtoon and web novel IP.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Also, an edict was issued directing people to use the bathroom of their gender assigned at birth, Brinkmeyer said.—
Vernal Coleman,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
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In 2003, as the United States invaded Iraq over false claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, Khamenei issued a religious edict — a fatwa — declaring nuclear weapons to be forbidden under Islam.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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That motion is pending a ruling.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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However, even if the NCPC approves the plan, the project can’t move forward due to Leon’s ruling.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Colorado Hospital Association — which opposes the bill — says state laws require all hospitals to screen patients for discounted care, wait six months before garnishing wages, and provide 30 days' notice.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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By late March, hundreds of WARN notices had already been filed nationwide for the year, affecting tens of thousands of workers across technology, media, retail, manufacturing, and transportation.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The order ensures that a lawyer can show up to meet with their client at the site during visitation hours every day of the week without first obtaining permission.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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Banks are required by law to report suspicious activity in customer accounts to federal authorities in order to flag potential criminal activity, such as money laundering or fraud.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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All decisions of the judges regarding this Promotion are final and binding in all respects.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Olsson and Garden set a deadline in the summer for a point at which Olsson wouldn’t take any more calls, providing the time and space to make her decision without noise.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directive. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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