Windows PowerShell Cookbook, 3rd Edition

Appendix J. Standard PowerShell Verbs

Cmdlets and scripts should be named using a Verb-Noun syntax—for example, Get-ChildItem. The official guidance is that, with rare exception, cmdlets should use the standard PowerShell verbs. They should avoid any synonyms or concepts that can be mapped to the standard. This allows administrators to quickly understand a set of cmdlets that use a new noun.

Note

To quickly access this list (without the definitions), type Get-Verb.

Verbs should be phrased in the present tense, and nouns should be singular. Tables J-1 through J-6 list the different categories of standard PowerShell verbs.

Table J-1. Standard Windows PowerShell common verbs

Verb	Meaning	Synonyms
Add	Adds a resource to a container or attaches an element to another element	Append, Attach, Concatenate, Insert
Clear	Removes all elements from a container	Flush, Erase, Release, Unmark, Unset, Nullify
Close	Removes access to a resource	Shut, Seal
Copy	Copies a resource to another name or container	Duplicate, Clone, Replicate
Enter	Sets a resource as a context	Push, Telnet, Open
Exit	Returns to the context that was present before a new context was entered	Pop, Disconnect
Find	Searches within an unknown context for a desired item	Dig, Discover
Format	Converts an item to a specified structure or layout	Layout, Arrange
Get	Retrieves data	Read, Open, Cat, Type, Dir, Obtain, Dump, Acquire, Examine, Find, Search
Hide	Makes a display not visible	Suppress
Join	Joins a resource	Combine, Unite, Connect, Associate