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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Anthropic filed suit on Monday seeking to block both the Pentagon's supply chain risk determination and the president's directive, saying the administration was illegally retaliating for speech protected by the First Amendment.
—
Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Failure to follow the directive could warrant disciplinary action up to and including termination from the police force.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
It also was proposed, not a directive.
—Samantha Ketterer, Houston Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Noem's confirmation out of the Senate sailed through, despite questions over how much money the agency was asking for to conduct immigration enforcement and policy directives coming from personnel high up at the White House, such as border czar Tom Homan.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directive
Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Failure to follow the directive could warrant disciplinary action up to and including termination from the police force.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
It also was proposed, not a directive.
—Samantha Ketterer, Houston Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Noem's confirmation out of the Senate sailed through, despite questions over how much money the agency was asking for to conduct immigration enforcement and policy directives coming from personnel high up at the White House, such as border czar Tom Homan.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for directive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directive
Noun
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The form and instructions are available there for eligible consumers.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
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Cook the pasta shells for 1 minute less than the package instructions, about 9 minutes, then drain and spray with cooking spray, and place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And three months before introducing the new decree, Argentina’s right-wing president Javier Milei, an ally of prime minister Giorgia Meloni, was granted citizenship by descent on a state visit to Italy.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
14 Mar. 2026
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Trump's nebulous decree immediately put him at odds with GOP leaders in Congress, who have been urging a swift end to the ongoing funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security over Democrats' calls for immigration enforcement reform.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In the sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued that between January 2010 and April 2013, Snyder executed a scheme to obstruct the IRS’s collection of his unpaid business and personal taxes.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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The memorandum also details two former employees who came to Lauer with concerns about the company’s ethics and operations, only to be rebuffed.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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That was despite a Spanish edict forbidding Pueblo people to possess horses.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Khamenei was both Hezbollah’s political ally and its paramount spiritual guide; the group followed his religious rulings and used his authority to legitimize violent acts.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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On Monday, a judge issued a default eviction ruling in favor of Rourke’s landlord, Eric Goldie, for possession of the home and termination of the rental agreement, according to documents in Los Angeles Superior Court.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Even the salads are worth notice, which is something not often said about a fish camp.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
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After that discussion, notices will be mailed to customers.—
Stacy Brandt,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The same process happened with the government’s attempt to dismantle the Palestinian Authority in order to kill and bury the hope for Palestinian self-determination.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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The second order would aim to streamline the mortgage process, directing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to change its mortgage guidelines so that smaller banks could engage in more lending.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This doesn’t end the decisions the Panthers will have to make along the offensive line, however.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
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The 4-1 zoning decision comes after nearly a year of CoreCivic arguing in court that it should be allowed to reopen its facility without a permit.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directive. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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