I looked up his telephone number in a telephone directory.
Source: tatoeba (259630)
Directory
Synonyms for "directory" (196 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (40)
accountacquaintanceadministrationadvisory bodyalmanach de gothaannouncementassemblyassociationatlasbaedekerbenchbibliographyblue bookboardboard of directorsboard of regentsboard of trusteesbody of advisersborough councilbrain trust
Noun(7 words)
Adjective(2 words)
alphabetic listalphabetical list
Strong matches (58)
Noun(7 words)
catalogue raisonnechamberchecklistchiefcity councilcity directoryclassified catalogclassified directorycommandingcommon councilcommunicationcommuniqueconcordanceconferencecongressconsultative assemblycontrollingcouncilcouncil firecouncil of ministers
Show 31 more words
council of statecouncil of warcounty councilcourtcyclopediadatadatumdeliberative assemblydiatesserondictionary catalogdietdirectingdirectivedirectoratedispatchdivandopeencyclopediaenlightenmentevidenceexecutiveexecutive armexecutive committeeexecutive hierarchyfactsfactual informationfamiliarizationfinding listgazetteergengenealogy
Related words (98)
general informationgoodsgoverninggoverning boardgoverning bodyguidebookhandbookhandlisthandouthard informationharmonyheadincidental informationindexinfoinformationinfrastructureinstructionintelligenceinterlocking directorate
Show 67 more words
itineraryjuntakitchen cabinetknowknowledgeleadinglegislaturelightlistmanagementmanagerialmanagingmentionmessagenoticenotificationparish councilpedigreephone bookpolyglotpresentationprivy councilpromotional materialproofpublicationpublicityrecord bookred bookreference bookregulatoryreleasereportroad maproadbookrollroyal kalendarsanhedrinscoopsidelightsocial registersource booksovietstaffstatementsteering committeestudbooksyndicatesynodtelephone booktelephone directorythe administrationthe brassthe dopethe executivethe goodsthe knowthe people upstairsthe scooptop brasstransmissiontribunalus cabinetwhite bookwhite paperwordwork of referenceyellow pages
Noun(11 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: account, acquaintance, address book, administration, advisory body.
- Sentence evidence is available for directory, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "directory".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "directory"
Keep "directory" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "directory" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "directory", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "directory" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesbook of factscatalogingdata organizationdata structurefilesystemlistlistingorganizationreferencereference bookreference worksystem
More specific
12 entriesaddress directorycity directorydocuments directoryfile directoryhome directoryimages directoryphone directoryroot directorystaff directorysystem directorytemporary directoryvideos directory
Collocations
12 entriesaddress directorydirectory informationdirectory listingdirectory pathdirectory structuredocuments directoryhome directoryimages directoryphone directoryroot directoryvideos directoryworking directory
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
7 entriesSample sentences
12 total sentences available.
No, I don't. You had better look it up in a telephone directory.
Source: tatoeba (277000)
May I see the telephone directory?
Source: tatoeba (279366)
I'm not sure what his number is. You'll have to look it up in the telephone directory.
Source: tatoeba (287211)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "directory"?
Closest matches include account, acquaintance, address book, administration, advisory body.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "directory"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.