Directoire

[ dee-rek-twar ]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to the style of French furnishings and decoration of the mid-1790s, characterized by an increasing use of Greco-Roman forms along with an introduction, toward the end, of Egyptian motifs: usually includes the Consulate period.
2. (of costume) in the style of the period of the French Directory.

noun

1. French History. directory ( def 5 ).

Directoire

/ dirɛktwar /

noun

1. history the French Directory See Directory

adjective

1. of, in, or relating to a decorative style of the end of the 18th century in France; a form of neoclassicism
2. characteristic of women's dress during the French Directory, typically an almost transparent dress with the waistline under the bust

Word History and Origins

Origin of Directoire¹

From French; directory

Example Sentences

McVicar returned to the opera’s origins, and thought about how its tensions and turmoil — “the sheer chaos that Medea is capable of unleashing,” he said — fits with its time, coming out of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, as well as Directoire style.

From New York Times

That gave the production its look, with costumes “from the Directoire period, roughly speaking, and a real sense of gothic decay,” McVicar said.

From New York Times

Louis XVI, Directoire and Empire are always go-tos in lighting and furniture.

From Seattle Times

The bones of Mabille’s apartment allude to that so-called Directoire style.

From New York Times

"As a member of The Directoire, it will ultimately be the Publicis Groupe Supervisory Board's duty to further evaluate his standing."

From BBC