directional
- Adjective:
- Relating to or indicating a specific direction in space: Used to describe something that operates, receives, or transmits in a particular line or course.
- Serving to guide or direct: Imposing or providing guidance toward a goal or along a path.
- Relating to a trend or progression toward a (non-spatial) objective: Pertaining to a purposeful movement or development in a particular field.
- Adjective:
- The hikers used a directional compass to find their way north.
- A directional antenna focuses the radio signal in one specific direction.
- The professor discussed the directional trends in contemporary political thought.
"Directional stability": In engineering, the inherent ability of a vehicle (like an aircraft or ship) to maintain its course.
- The new hull design improved the boat's directional stability in rough seas.
"Directional derivative": In mathematics, a rate of change of a function along a given direction.
- Calculating the directional derivative is essential in multivariable calculus.
Directionally (adverb): In a manner relating to direction.
- The microphone picks up sound directionally.
Directionality (noun): The property of having a specific direction or orientation.
- The directionality of the light beam was crucial for the experiment.
Bidirectional (adjective): Operating in two directions.
- The new street allows bidirectional traffic.
Omnidirectional (adjective): Receiving or transmitting in all directions.
- An omnidirectional microphone captures sound from all around.
- Guiding: Serving to show the way.
- Directive: Serving to direct or guide.
- Orientational: Relating to orientation or alignment.
Directional control: The ability to steer or guide movement.
- The pilot maintained directional control during the crosswind landing.
Directional hearing: The ability to perceive the direction from which a sound originates.
- Owls have excellent directional hearing to locate prey.
(Note: There are no common idioms that use the exact word "directional." It is primarily a technical adjective.)
- showing the way by conducting or leading; imposing direction on
- felt his mother's directing arm around him
- the directional role of science on industrial progress
- relating to direction toward a (nonspatial) goal
- he tried to explain the directional trends of modern science
- relating to or indicating directions in space
- a directional microphone