directive

directive — noun

1. An official order or command given by a person or group in authority, telling pe

1.nounB2
Definition

An official order or command given by a person or group in authority, telling people what they must do.

Example

The CEO issued a directive requiring all employees to complete the training by Friday.

directive + requiring + noun + to-infinitive

Evelyn received a directive from the ministry to update the school's curriculum immediately.

Common collocations
  • issue a directive
  • comply with a directive
  • EU directive
  • safety directive
  • directive on
Synonyms
  • order

    more general; can apply to any level of authority, not just official contexts

  • instruction

    less formal and often used in everyday work settings

  • decree

    more formal and typically used by a ruler, government, or court

Antonyms
  • suggestion

    a recommendation with no binding force

  • request

    asks politely rather than commands

Grammar Patterns

directive + to-infinitive

directive + that-clause

Usage Note

Often found in legal, corporate, or governmental contexts. A directive is generally stronger and more binding than a suggestion or recommendation.

Common Mistakes

The manager gave a directive suggestion to the team.
The manager gave a directive to the team.
'directive' itself means an official instruction, so adding 'suggestion' is redundant and weakens the meaning.

directive — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to a command or requirement from an authority figure. A directive (B2) is an official instruction from a person or organization in authority, commonly used in corporate and government settings — e.g., 'The board issued a directive to reduce travel costs.' An order (A2) is more general and can apply to any level of authority, from a parent to a military commander; it is the plainest and most forceful. An instruction (A1-A2) is the least formal and works best in everyday or procedural contexts, like a recipe or a manual. A decree (C1) is reserved for rulers, courts, or supreme authorities and carries a formal, official weight — e.g., 'The king issued a decree pardoning the prisoners.' A mandate (B2-C1) implies a requirement backed by legal or political authority, often from voters to a government or from a higher body to a lower one. In short: for daily work contexts, use instruction (least formal) or directive; for military or strict commands, use order; for legal or governmental rulings, use decree or mandate.

order ↗instruction ↗decreemandate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • EU directive
  • government directive
  • safety directive
  • company directive
  • policy directive

Phrases

  • issue a directive
  • comply with a directive
  • follow a directive
  • implement a directive

Prepositions

  • directive on
  • directive about
  • directive regarding

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Directive comes from the Latin word 'directivus', meaning 'tending in a straight line' or 'guiding'. It entered English in the 15th century as an adjective meaning 'serving to direct'. The noun sense — 'an official instruction' — developed later in the 20th century, particularly in government and corporate language. The root 'dirigere' (to set straight) also gives us 'direct', 'direction', and 'director'.