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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in memorandums
a written communication giving information or directions
a growing stack of unread directives from the company's senior vice president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of directives
The federal prosecutor’s office in Minnesota has been gutted by a wave of career officials resigning or retiring over objections to Trump administration directives.
—
ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
The federal prosecutor's office in Minnesota has been gutted by a wave of career officials resigning or retiring over objections to Trump administration directives.
—CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Many, including the UT System, are conducting system-wide course catalog reviews to ensure class materials are in compliance with state and federal directives related to gender identity.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Within days of the President’s Inauguration, the agency’s staffers received the first of a series of directives instructing them to return to the office.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Coast Guard officials have privately raised concerns about some of the secretary’s directives and use of Coast Guard resources to service her priorities, the sources said.
—NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
In Europe, due diligence directives—such as the EU Deforestation Regulation—require clear, verifiable chain-of-custody documentation for materials.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Macdonald cared about team chair Jody Allen’s directives.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
The federal prosecutor's office in Minnesota has been gutted by a wave of career officials resigning or retiring over objections to Trump administration directives.
—CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Many, including the UT System, are conducting system-wide course catalog reviews to ensure class materials are in compliance with state and federal directives related to gender identity.
—Milla Surjadi, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
Within days of the President’s Inauguration, the agency’s staffers received the first of a series of directives instructing them to return to the office.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Coast Guard officials have privately raised concerns about some of the secretary’s directives and use of Coast Guard resources to service her priorities, the sources said.
—NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
In Europe, due diligence directives—such as the EU Deforestation Regulation—require clear, verifiable chain-of-custody documentation for materials.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Macdonald cared about team chair Jody Allen’s directives.
—Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for directives
Noun
-
Ice Box is an all-in-one, emergency and estate planner that organizes over 35 categories of essential documents, accounts, keys and instructions for both you and your next of kin.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Instead, there are instructions for each drug, referring consumers to manufacturers websites or coupons that can be used at local pharmacies.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jews have entered the month of Adar, during which Purim takes place, celebrating the overturning of evil decrees.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The White House itself has directly issued at least thirty-six orders, decrees, and directives targeting at least a hundred specific individuals and entities with punitive actions.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sheriff's offices in Laurel, McCracken and Pendleton counties, along with police departments in Hickman, Falmouth and Winchester signed memorandums of agreement with ICE in the first month of the year.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
-
There are dozens of these interview memorandums.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Covid-19 bred doubt about government edicts and skepticism about science, provoking an existential battle for truth.—
Richard Edelman,
Time,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Trump edicts weigh on stocks this week Geopolitical risks have weighed on investor sentiment this week.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These local rulings tend to offer narrower precedent for future disputes as well.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The court has issued a number of rulings that have effectively closed off avenues for challenges.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The preliminary notices don’t guarantee layoffs.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Oncor first published public notices about its Dinosaur-Longshore transmission line project last spring.—
Lana Ferguson,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The mission was one of five awarded in 2023 to ULA under the NSSF Phase 2 task orders worth $566 million, but the individual value was not released by the DOD.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
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Over the last year, labor tensions over minimum wages and working conditions have intensified over the past year, even as global consumption patterns disrupted orders.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The company noted that guides in the field had been in communication with senior guides at their base about conditions and route decisions.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Those engineering decisions worsened Katrina’s destruction.—
Melina Walling,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Directives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directives. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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