directive
/dəˈɹɛk.tɪv/adjective, noun
directive is spelled D-I-R-E-C-T-I-V-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, directive means “That which directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in directive?
| Letters | 9: D-I-R-E-C-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is directive?
Directive appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce directive?
- UK /daɪˈɹɛk.tɪv/
- UK /dɪˈɹɛk.tɪv/
- US /dəˈɹɛk.tɪv/
Directive has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-directive.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with directive?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as directive from its last stressed vowel (/ɛktɪv/):
- perspective
- objective
- respective
- protective
- retrospective
- corrective
- introspective
- overprotective
- imperfective
- surjective
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of directive
- directives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does directive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
That which directs; serving to direct, indicate, or guide.
- 2
Relating to the directive case.
noun
- 1
An instruction or guideline that indicates how to perform an action or reach a goal.
- 2
A construct in source code that indicates how it should be processed but is not necessarily part of the program to be run.
- 3
An authoritative decision from an official body, which may or may not have binding force.
- 4
A form of legislative act addressed to the member states. The directive binds the member state to reach certain objectives in their national legislation.
- 5
The directive case.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Directive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | directif, directive |
| Spanish | directiva |
| German | Richtlinie , Anweisung, Anordnung, Befehl, Direktive |
| Portuguese | directiva |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does directive come from?
From Middle French directif. The noun senses are from French directive (feminine form of the adjective).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).