directive
/dəˈrektɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /dəˈrektɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /də-ˈrek-tiv dī-/ (ame, mw)
directive — noun
- directivesingular
- directivesplural
1. An official order or command given by a person or group in authority, telling pe
An official order or command given by a person or group in authority, telling people what they must do.
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.
The new EU directive on packaging waste will take effect next year.
Liang carefully read the safety directive before operating the machine.
According to the hospital directive, all visitors must wash their hands upon entering.
- 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
- suggestion
a recommendation with no binding force
- request
asks politely rather than commands
文法句型
directive + to-infinitive
directive + that-clause
用法筆記
Often found in legal, corporate, or governmental contexts. A directive is generally stronger and more binding than a suggestion or recommendation.
常見錯誤
directive — adjective
- directivepositive
- more directivecomparative
- most directivesuperlative
1. Serving to give clear instructions or guidance, often in an authoritative way —
Serving to give clear instructions or guidance, often in an authoritative way — for example, a directive memo from a manager or a directive approach to leadership.
The report took a directive tone, telling each department exactly what changes to make.
directive tone — describes how something is communicated
Baraka adopted a directive leadership style during the emergency response operation.
The treaty contained directive language that required signatories to meet clear targets.
Ingrid found her manager's directive approach left little room for creative thinking.
The document was more directive than advisory, listing strict requirements for compliance.
- instructive
less authoritative; focuses on teaching rather than commanding
- prescriptive
more formal; describes rules that dictate exactly what must be done
- guiding
softer in tone; suggests direction without compulsion
文法句型
directive + noun
用法筆記
Primarily used attributively (before a noun). The adjective sense is considerably rarer than the noun sense in everyday English.