director

noun

di·​rec·​tor də-ˈrek-tər 

dī-

: one who directs: such as

a

: the head of an organized group or administrative unit (such as a bureau or school)

director of religious education

a communications director

b

: one of a group of persons entrusted with the overall direction of a corporate enterprise

on the board of directors for a large corporation

c

: a person who supervises the production of a show (as for stage or screen) usually with responsibility for action, lighting, music, and rehearsals

a famous Hollywood director

d

music : conductor sense c

directorship

də-ˈrek-tər-ˌship 

dī-

noun

Synonyms of director

• manager
• executive
• administrator
• superintendent
• supervisor

Examples of director in a Sentence

The company will hire a new director of marketing.

She's the director of graduate studies at the university.

She's considered one of the best young directors in Hollywood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Of those who agreed to be potential donors, 95% signed up while visiting California DMVs, Ed Swenson, the DMV’s chief deputy director, said Thursday. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 5 Dec. 2025

Tom Scannell, the city’s community and economic development director, will review and approve some incoming short-term rental requests individually in order to speed up the process. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 4 Dec. 2025

Graf Mack, who joined Ailey in July, is only the fourth artistic director in the company’s history, following in the footsteps of Ailey himself, the legendary Judith Jamison, and Robert Battle. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2025

Vitale, 52, assumed the role of creative director at the storied Italian fashion house earlier this year after Donatella Versace stepped down. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see direct entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing director

• casting director
• co-director
• director of photography
• director's chair
• director's cut
• funeral director
• managing director
• program director
• stage director
• sub-director

Rhymes for director

• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector
• deflector
• detector
• dissector
• effector
• ejector
• elector
• erector

Kids Definition

director

noun

di·​rec·​tor də-ˈrek-tər 

dī-

: one that directs: as

a

: one of a group of persons who direct the business of an organized body (as a corporation)

the board of directors

b

: one that guides the making of a show (as for stage or screen)

c

: conductor sense 2

directorial

də-ˌrek-ˈtōr-ē-əl, 

(ˌ)dī-, 

-ˈtȯr-

adjective

directorship

də-ˈrek-tər-ˌship 

dī-

noun

Medical Definition

director

noun

di·​rec·​tor də-ˈrek-tər, dī- 

: an instrument grooved to guide and limit the motion of a surgical knife

Legal Definition

director

noun

di·​rec·​tor

1

: the head of an organized group or administrative unit or agency

2

: any of a group of persons usually elected by shareholders and entrusted with the overall control of a corporation

Note: Directors owe a fiduciary duty to the shareholders in the exercise of their powers. Directors have the power to appoint and dismiss officers, declare and pay dividends on stock, initiate major corporate actions such as mergers or dissolution, and determine other matters affecting the corporation.

directorship noun