Origin: Latin suffix -ory
Directory has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
an alphabetical list of names and addresses
"I spent twenty minutes searching the phone book directory to find my cousin's new address in Chicago."
(computer science) a listing of the files stored in memory (usually on a hard disk)
"The system crashed because the directory became corrupted while it was trying to index all the new files on the hard drive."
A list of names, addresses etc, of specific classes of people or organizations, often in alphabetical order or in some classification.
"The marketing team spent hours compiling a new directory of local non-profits to target their upcoming charity drive."
In plain English: A directory is a list that helps you find contact information for people or businesses.
"The phone book is a directory that lists everyone's contact information in the city."
Usage: Use "directory" to refer to an organized list of names, addresses, and contact details for people or businesses, such as a phone book or online white pages. Do not use it interchangeably with "dictionary," which lists words and their definitions.
Containing directions; instructing; directorial.
"The old hiking map was nothing more than a directory of trails, lacking any actual compass bearings or elevation data to guide us safely down the mountain."
In plain English: When used as an adjective, directory means something that is arranged to show how different parts of a system connect to each other.
"The directory listing showed every phone number in the town."
Usage: In modern English, directory is almost exclusively used as a noun to refer to a list of names and addresses; it is rarely used as an adjective in everyday conversation. When you need to describe something containing instructions or guidance, use the adjective directional instead.
The word "directory" comes from the Medieval Latin dīrēctōrium, which originally meant something that directs or guides. Its modern meaning developed through a combination of the root for "direct" and a suffix used to form nouns.