direct

[ dih-rekt, dahy- ]

/ dɪˈrɛkt, daɪ- /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR direct ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to manage or guide by advice, helpful information, instruction, etc.: He directed the company through a difficult time.

to regulate the course of; control: History is directed by a small number of great men and women.

to administer; manage; supervise: She directs the affairs of the estate.

to give authoritative instructions to; command; order or ordain: I directed him to leave the room.

to serve as a director in the production or performance of (a musical work, play, motion picture, etc.).

to guide, tell, or show (a person) the way to a place: I directed him to the post office.

to point, aim, or send toward a place or object: to direct radio waves around the globe.

to channel or focus toward a given result, object, or end (often followed by to or toward): She directed all her energies toward the accomplishment of the work.

to address (words, a speech, a written report, etc.) to a person or persons: The secretary directed his remarks to two of the committee members.

to address (a letter, package, etc.) to an intended recipient.

verb (used without object)

to act as a guide.

to give commands or orders.

to serve as the director of a play, film, orchestra, etc.

adjective

proceeding in a straight line or by the shortest course; straight; undeviating; not oblique: a direct route.

proceeding in an unbroken line of descent; lineal rather than collateral: a direct descendant.

Mathematics.

(of a proportion) containing terms of which an increase (or decrease) in one results in an increase (or decrease) in another: a term is said to be in direct proportion to another term if one increases (or decreases) as the other increases (or decreases).
(of a function) the function itself, in contrast to its inverse.Compare inverse(def 2).

without intervening persons, influences, factors, etc.; immediate; personal: direct contact with the voters; direct exposure to a disease.

straightforward; frank; candid: the direct remarks of a forthright individual.

absolute; exact: the direct opposite.

consisting exactly of the words originally used; verbatim: direct quotation.

Government. of or by action of voters, which takes effect without representatives or another intervening agency, as in direct democracy.

inevitable; consequential: War will be a direct result of such political action.

allocated for or arising from a particular known agency, process, job, etc.: The new machine was listed by the accountant as a direct cost.

Electricity. of or relating to direct current.

Astronomy.

moving in an orbit in the same direction as the earth in its revolution around the sun.
appearing to move on the celestial sphere in the direction of the natural order of the signs of the zodiac, from west to east.Compare retrograde(def 4).

Surveying. (of a telescope) in its normal position; not inverted or transited.

(of dye colors) working without the use of a mordant; substantive.

adverb

in a direct manner; directly; straight: Answer me direct.

Origin of direct

1325–75; Middle English direct (adj., adv.), directen (v.) (< Anglo-French) < Latin dīrēctus, dērēctus (the latter probably the orig. form, later reanalyzed as dī- di-²), past participle of dērigere to align, straighten, guide ( dē- de- + -rigere, combining form of regere to guide, rule)

SYNONYMS FOR direct

18 open, sincere, outspoken.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR direct ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for direct

1. See guide. 4. Direct, order, command mean to issue instructions. Direct suggests also giving explanations or advice; the emphasis is not on the authority of the director, but on steps necessary for the accomplishing of a purpose. Order connotes a personal relationship in which one in a superior position imperatively instructs a subordinate to do something. Command, less personal and, often, less specific in detail, suggests greater formality and, sometimes, a more fixed authority on the part of the superior.

OTHER WORDS FROM direct

di·rect·a·ble, adjective di·rect·ness, noun pre·di·rect, verb (used with object) self-di·rect·ing, adjective

sem·i·di·rect, adjective sem·i·di·rect·ness, noun

Words nearby direct

dirae, dirdum, dire, dire wolf, direc. prop., direct, direct access, direct action, direct address, direct broadcast satellite, direct characterization

Example sentences from the Web for direct

If someone wants to ensure a direct and secure connection, no entity, whether a hotel or otherwise, should be able to block it.

How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security |Kyle Chayka |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Idiocies multiply in direct proportion to the accumulating legal rigidities.

Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans |Philip K. Howard |December 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Direct funds away from practices, policies, and programs that consistently fail to achieve measurable outcomes.

Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball? |Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle |December 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It would be inaccurate though to call SIX a direct antidote to ALEC.

The Left’s Answer to ALEC |Ben Jacobs |December 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Part of that, Dr. Khan says, was a direct result of the global trekking PepsiCo is doing.

The Science of Ingredient Innovation | |December 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I believe them to have been the direct suggestion of the devil.

Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources |James Wood
During the summer months they should be protected from the direct rays of the sun, and kept well syringed.

Talks about Flowers. |M. D. Wellcome
New value will be given to craftsmanship and a sense of dedication—now almost unknown—to those who direct it.

The Life of the Spirit and the Life of To-day |Evelyn Underhill
There is no direct charge conveyed by Mr. Knox, but there is evidently expressed the language of doubt and surmise.

The Works of William Cowper |William Cowper
Such competition, although simple and direct, recognizes no national bounds.

Railroads: Rates and Regulations |William Z. Ripley

British Dictionary definitions for direct

direct

/ (dɪˈrɛkt, daɪ-) /

verb (mainly tr)

to regulate, conduct, or control the affairs of

(also intr) to give commands or orders with authority to (a person or group) he directed them to go away

to tell or show (someone) the way to a place

to aim, point, or cause to move towards a goal

to address (a letter, parcel, etc)

to address (remarks, words, etc) to direct comments at someone

(also intr) to provide guidance to (actors, cameramen, etc) in the rehearsal of a play or the filming of a motion picture

(also intr)

to conduct (a piece of music or musicians), usually while performing oneself
another word (esp US) for conduct (def. 9)

adjective

without delay or evasion; straightforward a direct approach

without turning aside; uninterrupted; shortest; straight a direct route

without intervening persons or agencies; immediate a direct link

honest; frank; candid a direct answer

(usually prenominal) precise; exact a direct quotation

diametrical the direct opposite

in an unbroken line of descent, as from father to son over succeeding generations a direct descendant

(of government, decisions, etc) by or from the electorate rather than through representatives

logic maths (of a proof) progressing from the premises to the conclusion, rather than eliminating the possibility of the falsehood of the conclusion Compare indirect proof

astronomy moving from west to east on the celestial sphere Compare retrograde (def. 4a)

of or relating to direct current
(of a secondary induced current) having the same direction as the primary current

music

(of motion) in the same directionSee motion (def. 9)
(of an interval or chord) in root position; not inverted

adverb

directly; straight he went direct to the office

Derived forms of direct

directness, noun

Word Origin for direct

C14: from Latin dīrectus; from dīrigere to guide, from dis- apart + regere to rule

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

direct

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

adverb

Origin of direct

SYNONYMS FOR direct

synonym study for direct

OTHER WORDS FROM direct

Words nearby direct

Example sentences from the Web for direct

British Dictionary definitions for direct

verb (mainly tr)

adjective

adverb

Derived forms of direct

Word Origin for direct

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

direct

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

adverb

Origin of direct

SYNONYMS FOR direct

synonym study for direct

OTHER WORDS FROM direct

Words nearby direct

Words related to direct

Example sentences from the Web for direct

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for direct

verb (mainly tr)

adjective

adverb

Derived forms of direct

Word Origin for direct

British Dictionary definitions for direct