Meanings
adjectivedirective (not comparable)
- not comparablegrammarRelating to the directive case.
noundirective (plural directives)
plural directives
- An instruction or guideline that indicates how to perform an action or reach a goal.
- computingA construct in source code that indicates how it should be processed but is not necessarily part of the program to be run.
- An authoritative decision from an official body, which may or may not have binding force.
- European UnionlawA form of legislative act addressed to the member states. The directive binds the member state to reach certain objectives in their national legislation.
- grammarThe directive case.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveshowing the way by conducting or leading; imposing direction on
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchdirective
- Middle Frenchdirectif
- Englishdirective
From Middle French directif. The noun senses are from French directive (feminine form of the adjective).
More words from Middle French, French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian направляващ, ръководещ
- направляващ (napravljavašt)that directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- ръководещ (răkovodešt)that directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- директи́ва (direktíva)instruction or guideline
- указа́ние (ukazánie)instruction or guideline
- директи́ва (direktíva)authoritative decision
- директи́ва (direktíva)form of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Chinese Mandarin 指示
- 指示 (zhǐshì)instruction or guideline
Czech směrnice
- směrniceform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Danish direktiv, direktiv
- direktivinstruction or guideline
- direktivauthoritative decision
- direktivform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Dutch wijzend, instructie
- wijzendthat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- instructieinstruction or guideline
- richtlijninstruction or guideline
- richtlijnauthoritative decision
- richtlijnform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Estonian käskkiri, juhind
- käskkiriauthoritative decision
- juhindform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
- direktiivform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Finnish ohjaava, määräävä
- ohjaavathat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- määrääväthat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- johtavathat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- direktiivinengrammar: relating to directive case
- toimintaohjeinstruction or guideline
- ohjeinstruction or guideline
- ohjesääntöinstruction or guideline
- määräysauthoritative decision
- direktiiviauthoritative decision
- direktiiviform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
- direktiivigrammar: directive case
French directif, directive
- directifthat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- directivethat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- directiveinstruction or guideline
- directiveauthoritative decision
- directiveform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
German Richtlinie, Anweisung
- Richtlinieinstruction or guideline
- Anweisungauthoritative decision
- Anordnungauthoritative decision
- Befehlauthoritative decision
- Direktiveauthoritative decision
- Richtlinieform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Hindi अनुदेश, अनुदेश
- अनुदेश (anudeś)instruction or guideline
- अनुदेश (anudeś)authoritative decision
Hungarian utasítás, rendelkezés
- utasításinstruction or guideline
- rendelkezésinstruction or guideline
- direktívainstruction or guideline
- direktívaauthoritative decision
- irányelvauthoritative decision
- irányelvform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Irish treoir
- treoirinstruction or guideline
Japanese 指示, 指針
- 指示 (shiji)instruction or guideline
- 指針 (shishin)instruction or guideline
Korean 지시, 지침
- 지시 (jisi)instruction or guideline
- 지침 (jichim)instruction or guideline
Norwegian Bokmål direktiv, direktiv
- direktivinstruction or guideline
- direktivauthoritative decision
- direktivform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Polish dyrektywa, wytyczna
- dyrektywainstruction or guideline
- wytycznainstruction or guideline
- dyrektywaauthoritative decision
- dyrektywaform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Portuguese directiva, directiva
- directivainstruction or guideline
- directivaform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Russian направля́ющий, руководя́щий
- направля́ющий (napravljájuščij)that directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- руководя́щий (rukovodjáščij)that directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- директи́ва (direktíva)instruction or guideline
- указа́ние (ukazánije)instruction or guideline
- директи́ва (direktíva)authoritative decision
- ука́з (ukáz)authoritative decision
- директи́ва (direktíva)form of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Slovak smernica, usmernenie
- smernicainstruction or guideline
- usmernenieinstruction or guideline
- nariadenieauthoritative decision
- smernicaauthoritative decision
- direktívaauthoritative decision
- smernicaform of legislative act addressed to the EU member states
Spanish directiva, directiva
- directivathat directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide
- directivainstruction or guideline
Ukrainian директи́ва, указі́вка
- директи́ва (dyrektýva)instruction or guideline
- указі́вка (ukazívka)instruction or guideline
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with directive
effectiverespectiveobjectivecollectiveprotectiveprospectiveselectivedetectivesubjectivedefectiveelectivereflectivecorrectiveretrospectiveineffectiveirrespectiveaffectiveconnectiveconvectiveprojectiveintrospectiveinfectiveinjectiveinvective
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
directive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/directive
MLA
“directive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/directive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “directive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/directive.
Source: directive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.