Skip to main content
directional

directional

1 5.2
Giving guidance or leadership toward a goal
  • adjective
  • /dɪˈrɛkʃənl/
translation icon : direccional
  • The coach provided directional guidance to help the players understand their roles in the game.
  • directional hypothesis
  • directional change
  • one-directional

Our North Star is to me more directional.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • As a result, says Ragusin, "That directional role needs to be tempered with humility."

    Academic text (2004)
  • We used a one-tailed test because our hypothesis was directional and theory-driven.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Lesson material is developed according to some directional strategy, such as east to west or north to south.

    Academic text (2009)
  • While this may be the case, the current study did not address directional influences between home and school.

    Academic text (1990)
  • We learn instead of to be so directional, to ask expansive questions.

  • The need for resilient geographical education, which can survive this directional change, is apparent.

    Academic text (2001)
  • A one-tailed test was used because the theory generated directional predictions.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Similarly, how will invertebrate populations or communities respond to qualitative, directional changes in habitat?

    Academic text (2002)
  • Abernathy threw the directional switch, and their car rerouted itself onto the track that veered left.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The directional placement of grandfathers and their roles in prayers demonstrate a relation with the cardinal directions.

    Academic text (2017)

Synonyms

guiding
vsdirectional
1 3.0

Giving direction and help to show people what to do or where to go

focuses on giving orientation specifically toward a goal or plan
directive
vsdirectional
1 5.9

Giving clear instructions to guide others

focuses on providing orientation toward a goal rather than issuing instructions
goal-directed
vsdirectional
1 5.3

A person, action, or plan that aims to reach a clear result

orients others toward goals rather than being driven by them
directed
vsdirectional
3.9

Having a clear direction or purpose

gives leadership actively rather than only showing a set purpose

Compounds

directional antenna
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A device that sends or receives radio waves mostly in one direction

1 4.1

A microphone that picks up sound mainly from one direction to reduce background noise

directional mike
  • Informal
5.1

A microphone that mostly picks up sound from one direction to reduce background noise

How Directive

directive
1 5.9
guiding
1 3.0
directional
1 5.2
advisory
  • Formal
48 4.2
nondirective
1 7.2

Surface Forms

directional positive

Morphology

directional = direction (semi-transparent) = direction + al

The form is clearly derived from 'direction', but the leadership/orientation sense is a metaphorical extension rather than a literal spatial meaning.

Etymology

The word directional comes from direct and direction, which mean 'to guide' and 'the way'. So when a person, plan, or leader is directional, they give clear guidance and point the group toward a goal.