DIRECTIVE Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

directive

noun

Definition of directive

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in memorandum

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of directive By expressly including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in the directive, the National Fraud Enforcement Division appears to be placing drug and device makers, among others, more clearly in its crosshairs. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026 Her directive contradicts state law, which since 2023 has required judges to livestream most criminal court proceedings except under particular circumstances. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Individual campuses in the CSU and UC can create their own policies in addition to systemwide directives. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Adopting strong, common-sense building codes for large buildings and minimizing cuts to energy efficiency should be a no-brainer to anyone seeking to follow Moore’s directive. — Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for directive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for directive

Noun

That role demands reliable equipment capable of transmitting strategic instructions during severe national security crises.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Gartner expects more than 40% of agentic AI projects, which are projects built on AI that acts on its own rather than waiting for instructions, to be scrapped by the end of 2027, citing escalating costs and unclear business value among the reasons.

— Ciaran Cosgrave, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of instruction

Noun

And there was, in fact, a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and his counterparts, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to try to engineer some sort of a return to a memorandum of understanding.

— Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
The announcement follows a presidential memorandum issued on August 13, directing the administration to develop a plan for a centralized facility capable of receiving new submarine components and refurbishing existing parts.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of memorandum

Noun

The edict is to transform the operating model when the market fundamentally shifts so the company can thrive in a changing environment.

— Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
The film by and large follows the edicts of Iranian neorealism, with unobtrusive observations and a naturalistic soundscape.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of edict

Noun

Get timely insight into the cases, rulings, and constitutional questions defining America’s legal landscape.

— Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026
Kalshi has filed rehearing petitions asking the Sixth and Ninth Circuits to review their latest rulings, citing the forthcoming CFTC rules.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of ruling

Noun

The taxpayers’ attorney, Abraham Wagner, cited four cases to support his argument that an IRS notice assessing additional taxes was invalid.

— Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
This move would only continue to shift this heavy financial burden onto local businesses and individual homeowners, many of whom have recently received notices of increases of more than 10% in their property assessments.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of notice

Noun

The show’s creative team was able to concentrate on making the series itself rather than second-guessing every decision to appeal to the international market.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
The review describes cognitive and behavioral consequences that can include impairments in working memory, decision making and emotional regulation.

— Shahrzad Jalali, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of decision

Browse Nearby Words

directions

directive

directives

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Directive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/directive. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of directive

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes