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Synonyms

director

American  
[dih-rek-ter, dahy-] / dɪˈrɛk tər, daɪ- /

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.

  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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • directorial adjective
  • directorially adverb
  • directorship noun
  • directress noun
  • predirector noun
  • self-director noun
  • subdirector noun
  • subdirectorship noun

Etymology

Origin of director

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ford fought back tears, thanking his fellow actors, writers, directors and cast members.

From Los Angeles Times

For Joachim Trier, whose "Sentimental Value" has an impressive nine nominations including for best director, being a part of the conversation is already a win.

From Barron's

O’Neill’s departure was followed by the resignation of Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former Louisiana surgeon general who served as the CDC’s principal deputy director for less than three months.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He’s the director of the FBI, so he should be at his post,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Iran has crossed a line,” said retired British Air Marshal Martin Sampson, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies—Middle East in Bahrain.

From The Wall Street Journal