noun

directory

duh-REK-tuh-ree/dəˈrektəri/

An organized reference locating information or resources.

The finger finds Ben's room number among the organized entries in the directory.

An open compact directory booklet viewed close enough to read exactly three organized entries: Ada 101, Ben 102, Cy 103, one entry per line.

Etymology

diLatinapart

+rectLatinto guide, keep straight

+oryLatinthing serving for

Built on the idea of setting straight or guiding, a directory was first a guide and then a book of directions. The name later shifted to organized listings of people and their contact details.

In context

Glean6:27

Now, the directory feature goes beyond a simple employee list. What you can see is an interactive org chart.

Glean feature walkthrough

More examples

I find the dentist's phone number in the directory.
The library maintains a directory of local support services.
Save your files in the project directory.

Forms

directory · directories

Similar words

listing: A broader term that need not provide contact or location details.
index: Usually points to locations of topics within a larger work.
catalog: Often describes items in a collection rather than locating contacts.