Act and Directive

Act

Act noun - A rule of conduct or action laid down by a governing authority and especially a legislature.

Usage example: the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public buildings to have wheelchair access

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Directive and act are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Directive" instead a noun "Act".

Nearby Words: acting, acted

Directive noun - A statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned.

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Act and directive are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Act" instead a noun "Directive".

similar	similar act	similar directive
original	original act	original directive
single	single act	single directive
actual	actual act	actual directive
Other adjectives: entire, main, supreme, new, final, said.

One has to wonder why, if you're designing a car to act as protector to a guy whose intended duty is the protection of those who can't help themselves... why would you make its primary directive self-preservation?

Source: Series / Knight Rider
In theory, this would act as a Logic Bomb, causing a rogue Sentinel who has this revelation thrust upon it to destroy itself, as its directive is to destroy mutants.

Source: Failsafe Failure
While trying to figure out how the AI subverted its first directive, he realizes that it learned about heaven by hearing a gospel radio station, and concluded that sending good people there was an act of caring.

Source: Religious Robot

Cite this Source

Directive and Act. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/act/directive

Act & Directive. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/act/directive>.

Directive or Act. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/act/directive.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "act" and "directive" have occurred on timeline