What Does Director Mean?
According to Dictionary.com, the word director means the following:
“Director [ dih-rek-ter, dahy- ]
Noun
- a person or thing that directs.
- one of a group of persons chosen to control or govern the affairs of a company or corporation.
- 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.
- the musical conductor of an orchestra, chorus, etc.
- the manager or chief executive of certain schools, institutes, government bureaus, etc.
- Military. a mechanical or electronic device that continuously calculates firing data for use against an airplane or other moving target.”
Synonyms for Director
- administrator
- chief
- executive
- head
- leader
- organizer
- player
- principal
- producer
- supervisor
- boss
- chair
- controller
- exec
- governor
- kingpin
- overseer
- skipper
- big person
- executive officer
- head honcho
- helmer
- key player
- person upstairs
- top dog
- top person
The History of the Word
The earliest modern form of the word director dates from the late fifteenth century, when it meant “a guide.” It is derived from the Anglo-French directour and the French directeur, both of which mean “to set straight, arrange, or give a specific direction to.” These words come from the Latin word dirigere, which means “to direct, guide, and keep straight.”
The sense of “one of a number of people who have the authority to manage the business and affairs of a company” comes from the 1630’s. The theatrical sense of the word, as a leader of a group of performers, came about in 1911.
When to Use the Abbreviation
The abbreviation Dir. should be used before the name of a director when mentioning him or her, as well as in situations where the director of a dept. is mentioned without a name.
This abbreviation isn’t always appropriate to use—if possible, one should always use the full, unabbreviated word in common prose. However, in areas where brevity and space are of concern, one may use this abbreviation. Examples of such circumstances include newspaper or television titles and headlines, addendums, plaques, signs, shortened pieces of writing, and memos. This abbreviation should not be used in professional writing or academic writing.
Examples of the Word and Abbreviation in Context
- In the United States, directors help to create over six hundred feature films per year on average.
- The Chief Financial Officer left a note on my desk. It said, “Cancel the intl publ until we can get the name of the new dir of human resources for the national institute. I think it’s Prof. Williams, but you need to confirm with his asst. Thx.”
- New York isn’t really the hotspot for making films. New York is where you go to become a fashion designer, a comedian, or even a writer. But Los Angeles, my friend, Los Angeles is where you go to make it big as a director or actor.
- The information service was automated and difficult to navigate. “Representative!” I yelled in frustration, “I want to speak with the Board of Directors!”
- I approached the unassuming brown door. Beside it was a window, like in any office, with plain, eggshell white blinds drawn. I couldn’t see inside. Beside the door sat the plaque: Dir. of Public Relations.
- The chief executive officer was surprisingly friendly. “You’d like to speak to Dir. Williams, is that right?”
- The Office of Management was, clearly, full of Type A personalities. Becky had a Bachelor of Arts and managed the creative team like she was born for it. Jim led the finance team and aimed to be an executive director someday. I felt a little out of place here.
- I squinted at the map. Eventually, I found my target. Bldg. 5 – Dir. of Constr. – Level 3. I hoped to find the office in the maze of buildings on campus.
- It’s interesting how much we love to abbreviate titles in the business world. “Dir.” for “Director,” “SaaS” for “Software as a Service,” “Adm.” for “Administration.” We’re all in such a hurry, you can even see it in how we write.
- Our CFO was furious. To be honest, we deserved it, especially me. I was the director of the project.
- I loved my time traveling across the United States, but I wanted to go back to California and continue working as a director of short films.
- “Have you tried contacting the main office?” asked Bette. “You’d be surprised by how many directors are looking for actors right now, especially for commercials.”
- The map mounted next to the elevator read Bldg. 1 as clear as day, but I knew for a fact that we were in Bldg. 2. I could see a Maint. Room and a Dir. Meeting Room, but there was no other building in sight.
Sources:
- https://writingexplained.org/english-abbreviations/director
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/director?s=t
- https://www.etymonline.com/word/director#etymonline_v_31457
- https://www.yourdictionary.com/
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
