Skip to content
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

directive

/dəˈɹɛk.tɪv/

Press play to hear how to pronounce directive.

American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
Watch on YouTube ↗

What does directive mean?

adjective

  1. That which directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide.
  2. Relating to the directive case.

noun

  1. An instruction or guideline that indicates how to perform an action or reach a goal.
More meanings (4)

noun

  1. A construct in source code that indicates how it should be processed but is not necessarily part of the program to be run.
  2. An authoritative decision from an official body, which may or may not have binding force.
  3. A form of legislative act addressed to the member states. The directive binds the member state to reach certain objectives in their national legislation.
  4. The directive case.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/dəˈɹɛk.tɪv/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other dictionary pronunciations

/dɪˈɹɛk.tɪv//daɪˈɹɛk.tɪv/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

Which entertain’d, limbs are his instruments, In no less working than are swords and bows Directive by the limbs.
William ShakespeareThe Complete Works of William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg ebook #100
To ignore the directive influence of this present environment upon the young is simply to abdicate the educational function.
John DeweyDemocracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of EducationProject Gutenberg ebook #852
More book examples (3)
This directive will output a section with title and all footnotes in the document will be moved inside the section.
Marcello PerathonerThe Project Gutenberg RST ManualProject Gutenberg ebook #181
For him the word meant not merely "mind" in the sense of receptive and comprehending intelligence, but directive and creative intelligence as well.
Henry Smith Williams; Edward Huntington WilliamsA History of Science — Volume 1Project Gutenberg ebook #1705
Towards this the directive wills among men have been drifting more and more steadily and perceptibly and with fewer eddyings and retardations, for many centuries.
H. G. (Herbert George) WellsGod, the Invisible KingProject Gutenberg ebook #1046