# directory

Pronunciation: say "di-REK-tuh-ree" /dɪˈɹɛktəɹi/

## Noun

1. A list of names, addresses, and similar details for a particular group of people or organizations, usually arranged alphabetically or by category.
   - Simple: A book or list that gives names, addresses, and phone numbers.
   - _The business directory groups local companies by the services they offer._
   - _Volunteers compiled a directory of every shelter in the county._
2. A virtual container in a computer's file system that holds files and other directories, typically grouping related items together.
   - Simple: A folder on a computer where files and other folders are kept together.
   - _The installer creates a directory for its configuration files._
   - _Each user account has its own home directory on the server._
3. An organized listing of the files stored on a device, recording each file's name and properties.
   - Simple: A list that shows the names and details of the files saved on a disk or drive.
   - _The disk directory shows each file's size and creation date._
   - _Reading the directory tells the system where each file begins on the disk._
4. A form of government whose executive power is held jointly by several members acting as a council, or the council that exercises that power.
   - Simple: A type of government run by a small group of people who share power equally.
   - _The new directory divided authority among five commissioners._
   - _Members of the directory voted as a body on every major decision._

## Adjective

5. Containing or giving directions; serving to instruct or guide.
   - Simple: Giving directions or instructions about how to do something.
   - _The manual's directory passages guide new staff through each step._
   - _He spoke in a directory manner, issuing clear orders to everyone present._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–4** — From Middle English directorie, from Medieval Latin dīrectōrium; by surface analysis, direct + -ory. It is a doublet of directorium, and the political sense is a semantic loan from French directoire.
**Meaning 5** — From Middle English directorye, from Latin dīrectōrius; by surface analysis, direct + -ory.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/directory (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).