noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/dɪˈɹɛktəɹət/
/daɪˈɹɛktəɹət/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D ER0 EH1 K T ER0 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:D AY0 R EH1 K T ER0 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 3:D IY0 R EH1 K T ER0 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 4:D IH0 R EH1 K T ER0 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An agency headed by a director, usually a subdivision of a major government department.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A body of directors.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Meronym: managing director
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: directorship
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a group of persons chosen to govern the affairs of a corporation or other large institution
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: board of directors
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: board
Narrower terms: staggered board of directors
History
Etymology
From director + -ate.
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
տնօրինություն
(tnōrinutʻyun)
— an agency headed by a director
Czech:
ředitelství
— an agency headed by a director
Danish:
direktorat
— an agency headed by a director
Finnish:
direktoraatti
— an agency headed by a director
French:
direction
— an agency headed by a director
German:
Direktorium
— an agency headed by a director
Greek:
διευθυντήριο
(diefthyntírio)
— an agency headed by a director
Hindi:
निदेशालय
(nideśālay)
— an agency headed by a director
Hungarian:
igazgatóság
— an agency headed by a director
Hungarian:
csoportfőnökség
— an agency headed by a director
Indonesian:
direktorat
— an agency headed by a director
Kazakh:
директорат
(direktorat)
— an agency headed by a director
Māori:
poari whakahaere
— an agency headed by a director
Polish:
dyrekcja
— an agency headed by a director
Polish:
dyrektoriat
— an agency headed by a director
Russian:
директора́т
(direktorát)
— an agency headed by a director
Russian:
управле́ние
(upravlénije)
— an agency headed by a director
Russian:
правле́ние
(pravlénije)
— an agency headed by a director
Russian:
дире́кция
(dirékcija)
— an agency headed by a director
Slovak:
riaditeľstvo
— an agency headed by a director
Swedish:
direktorat
— an agency headed by a director
