dis-

apart, away; reversal or negation

Forms

dis-
di- — Shortened in certain Latin compounds.
dif- — Used before f in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *dis, ‘apart,’ associated with the idea of ‘two.’

Note

Separating things supplied a route from physical apartness to undoing an action.

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noun

director

duh-REK-ter/dəˈrektər/

A person or device guiding an operation.

The director shows the actor where to stand on set.

A film director guides an actor's positioning on a sparse production set while a camera operator waits for his direction.

Etymology

diLatinapart, away; reversal or negation

+rectLatinguide, straighten, or rule

+orLatina person or thing that acts

The prefix and root together formed a verb meaning “set straight” or “guide.” A director was originally a guide, a role extended to someone who steers an organization or supervises a production.

In context

Hasgeek TV475:03

so they're managing one team and then there's another design director who manages another team

Meta Refresh 2018 - Day 2

More examples

The museum's director approves the budget for each exhibit.
The company's directors vote on the proposed merger.
The antenna's director helps focus its signal in one direction.

Forms

director · directors

direct verb — To guide or manage an activity.

directorship noun — The position or duties of a director.

Similar words

manager: Usually handles daily operations rather than governing from a board.
supervisor: Oversees specific workers or tasks, often below a director.
controller: Often regulates a system rather than guiding people or productions.