Irányadónak

Irányadónak is the dative singular form of the Hungarian word irányadó, which can function as an adjective meaning guiding or benchmark-like and as a noun meaning guideline or standard. The base irányadó comes from irány (direction) and the suffix -adó, giving the sense of something that provides or establishes direction.

In usage, irányadó denotes a reference point or standard used to orient decisions, plans, or measurements. It is common in economics, policy making, planning, and regulation to speak of irányadó kamatláb (benchmark interest rate), irányadó szabályok (guideline rules), or irányadó szemlélet (guiding approach). The form irányadónak appears when the word is grammatically required to be in the dative (to/for) or when used with verbs that take a dative object, for example in constructions that treat the guideline as the recipient of consideration or action. In many contexts, however, the nominative irányadó or the compound noun forms are used without needing the dative.

Etymology: irányadó is a compound of irány (direction) and -adó, a suffix forming adjectives or nouns meaning “providing/relating to,” so irányadó literally means “direction-providing” or “guiding.” The variant irányadónak is the inflected form used to express the indirect object.

See also: irányadó, irányelv, benchmark, standard, policy rate.