Directional

How to spell directional

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce directional

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does directional mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to, indicating, or operating along a particular direction.

Directional in a sentence

• The new microphone has a directional pickup that captures sound from one side only.

• The road signs give clear directional guidance to the car park.

Where does directional come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb dirigere, which meant to set straight, to guide, or to line up, formed from the prefix dis- (here in the sense of apart or asunder) and regere, meaning to lead straight or to rule. The past participle directus gave English the word 'direct' in the late 1300s, carrying the idea of a straight, guided line. From 'direction' the adjective 'directional' was built much later, appearing in English around the 1850s as engineers and scientists needed a word for things that point or operate along a particular line. The root regere is remarkably productive, surviving in everyday relatives such as 'regent', 'regular', and 'rectangle', all of which share the notion of straightness or rule. Remembering that the core is the straight 'rect' (as in correct and erect) helps fix the spelling, since the word is simply 'direction' with the familiar '-al' ending added.

How the word is built

• di- (apart, from dis-)
• rect (straight, from Latin regere, to guide or rule)
• -ion (noun suffix)
• -al (adjective suffix)