1
as in instructions
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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2
as in decrees
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 memoranda
a written communication giving information or directions
a growing stack of unread directives from the company's senior vice president
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Recent Examples of directives
As the financial obligations in the directives became clear, the business community began to push for reforms.
—
Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
The Omnibus Simplification Package included two directives.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
But the federal financial directives and cultural wars roiling higher education are, once again, unsettling the campus and wider community.
—Molly Parker, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025
While these gains were praised by climate and environmental activists, as the obligations in the directives became clear, the business community began to push for reforms.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Even today, farmers have land-use rights but do not own their land, which deprives them of capital and subjects them to party directives on how to use it.
—Ian Johnson, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2025
The censorship directives extended beyond political content to language restrictions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
Three of his orders have revoked dozens of former President Joe Biden's previous directives, including those addressing COVID-19 and climate change.
—Laura Doan, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
Executive orders are presidential directives that do not require Congressional approval and have the force of law if the topic of the order falls under the president's constitutional authority.
—Laura Doan, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
The Omnibus Simplification Package included two directives.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
But the federal financial directives and cultural wars roiling higher education are, once again, unsettling the campus and wider community.
—Molly Parker, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025
While these gains were praised by climate and environmental activists, as the obligations in the directives became clear, the business community began to push for reforms.
—Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Even today, farmers have land-use rights but do not own their land, which deprives them of capital and subjects them to party directives on how to use it.
—Ian Johnson, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2025
The censorship directives extended beyond political content to language restrictions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025
Three of his orders have revoked dozens of former President Joe Biden's previous directives, including those addressing COVID-19 and climate change.
—Laura Doan, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
Executive orders are presidential directives that do not require Congressional approval and have the force of law if the topic of the order falls under the president's constitutional authority.
—Laura Doan, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Directives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directives. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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