director

[ dih-rek-ter, dahy- ]

noun

1. a person or thing that directs.

   Synonyms: boss, chief, administrator, leader, manager, head, supervisor

2. one of a group of persons chosen to control or govern the affairs of a company or corporation:

   a board of directors.

   Synonyms: boss, chief, administrator, leader, manager, head, supervisor

3. the person responsible for the interpretive aspects of a stage, film, or television production; the person who supervises the integration of all the elements, as acting, staging, and lighting, required to realize the writer's conception. Compare producer ( def 3 ).
4. the musical conductor of an orchestra, chorus, etc.
5. the manager or chief executive of certain schools, institutes, government bureaus, etc.

   Synonyms: boss, chief, administrator, leader, manager, head, supervisor

6. Military. a mechanical or electronic device that continuously calculates firing data for use against an airplane or other moving target.

director

/ daɪ-; dɪˈrɛktə /

noun

1. a person or thing that directs, controls, or regulates
2. a member of the governing board of a business concern who may or may not have an executive function
3. a person who directs the affairs of an institution, trust, educational programme, etc
4. the person responsible for the artistic and technical aspects of making a film or television programme Compare producer
5. music another word (esp US) for conductor

Derived Forms

• diˈrectress, noun:feminine
• ˌdirecˈtorial, adjective
• diˈrectorˌship, noun
• ˌdirecˈtorially, adverb

Other Words From

• di·rector·ship noun
• predi·rector noun
• self-di·rector noun
• subdi·rector noun
• subdi·rector·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of director¹

From Late Latin, dating back to 1470–80; direct, -tor

Example Sentences

Wistar Executive Vice President and director of the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center, who leads Wistar's HIV research efforts and served as a co-author on the paper.

From Science Daily

Jess Sargeant, who had worked for think tank Labour Together, became the deputy director in the Cabinet Office's Propriety and Constitution Group.

From BBC

“We need affordable housing everywhere — in every neighborhood,” said Maria Patiño Gutierrez, a policy director with the nonprofit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy.

From Los Angeles Times

“I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45. But that’s just me.”

From Salon

Laura Van Broekhoven, who is the director of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, said she was "outraged" at the auction and praised the decision to remove the remains from sale.

From BBC

Related Words

• administrator
• chief
• executive
• head
• leader
• organizer
• player
• principal
• producer
• supervisor