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direct

[dih-rekt, dahy-] /dɪˈrɛkt, daɪ-/
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verb (used with object)
1.
to manage or guide by advice, helpful information, instruction, etc.:
He directed the company through a difficult time.
2.
to regulate the course of; control:
History is directed by a small number of great men and women.
3.
to administer; manage; supervise:
She directs the affairs of the estate.
4.
to give authoritative instructions to; command; order or ordain:
I directed him to leave the room.
5.
to serve as a director in the production or performance of (a musical work, play, motion picture, etc.).
6.
to guide, tell, or show (a person) the way to a place:
I directed him to the post office.
7.
to point, aim, or send toward a place or object:
to direct radio waves around the globe.
8.
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.
9.
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.
10.
to address (a letter, package, etc.) to an intended recipient.
verb (used without object)
11.
to act as a guide.
12.
to give commands or orders.
13.
to serve as the director of a play, film, orchestra, etc.
adjective
14.
proceeding in a straight line or by the shortest course; straight; undeviating; not oblique:
a direct route.
15.
proceeding in an unbroken line of descent; lineal rather than collateral:
a direct descendant.
16.
Mathematics.
  1. (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).
  2. (of a function) the function itself, in contrast to its inverse.
    Compare inverse (def 2).
17.
without intervening persons, influences, factors, etc.; immediate; personal:
direct contact with the voters; direct exposure to a disease.
18.
straightforward; frank; candid:
the direct remarks of a forthright individual.
19.
absolute; exact:
the direct opposite.
20.
consisting exactly of the words originally used; verbatim:
direct quotation.
21.
Government. of or by action of voters, which takes effect without representatives or another intervening agency, as in direct democracy.
22.
inevitable; consequential:
War will be a direct result of such political action.
23.
allocated for or arising from a particular known agency, process, job, etc.:
The new machine was listed by the accountant as a direct cost.
24.
Electricity. of or relating to direct current.
25.
Astronomy.
  1. moving in an orbit in the same direction as the earth in its revolution around the sun.
  2. 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).
26.
Surveying. (of a telescope) in its normal position; not inverted or transited.
27.
(of dye colors) working without the use of a mordant; substantive.
adverb
28.
in a direct manner; directly; straight:
Answer me direct.
Origin of direct
Latin
Middle English
Anglo-French
1325-1375
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)
Related forms
directable, adjective
directness, noun
predirect, verb (used with object)
self-directing, adjective
semidirect, adjective
semidirectness, noun
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
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. 18. open, sincere, outspoken.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.
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Examples from the Web for directness
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples

  • She was bold, but not brazen; hers seemed the boldness, the directness, of a child or a savage.

    To Him That Hath Leroy Scott

  • His arms, also, hung with a directness that indicated great fatigue.

    Where the Souls of Men are Calling Credo Harris

  • As a community, San Francisco exalted personal courage, directness of encounter, straight and effective shooting.

    The Letters of Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Bierce

  • The directness of the answer, given in a shy voice, astonished him.

    A Mating in the Wilds Ottwell Binns

  • Now, to my astonishment, I perceive a woman; a directness of vision; a delicate perception of standards and a firmness of purpose.

    The Wasted Generation Owen Johnson

  • They were not prepared for his swiftness and directness, for his attack without warning.

    White Fang Jack London
British Dictionary definitions for directness

direct

/dɪˈrɛkt; daɪ-/
verb (mainly transitive)
1.
to regulate, conduct, or control the affairs of
2.
(also intransitive) to give commands or orders with authority to (a person or group): he directed them to go away
3.
to tell or show (someone) the way to a place
4.
to aim, point, or cause to move towards a goal
5.
to address (a letter, parcel, etc)
6.
to address (remarks, words, etc): to direct comments at someone
7.
(also intransitive) to provide guidance to (actors, cameramen, etc) in the rehearsal of a play or the filming of a motion picture
8.
(also intransitive)
  1. to conduct (a piece of music or musicians), usually while performing oneself
  2. another word (esp US) for conduct (sense 9)
adjective
9.
without delay or evasion; straightforward: a direct approach
10.
without turning aside; uninterrupted; shortest; straight: a direct route
11.
without intervening persons or agencies; immediate: a direct link
12.
honest; frank; candid: a direct answer
13.
(usually prenominal) precise; exact: a direct quotation
14.
diametrical: the direct opposite
15.
in an unbroken line of descent, as from father to son over succeeding generations: a direct descendant
16.
(of government, decisions, etc) by or from the electorate rather than through representatives
17.
(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
18.
(astronomy) moving from west to east on the celestial sphere Compare retrograde (sense 4a)
19.
  1. of or relating to direct current
  2. (of a secondary induced current) having the same direction as the primary current
20.
(music)
  1. (of motion) in the same direction See motion (sense 9)
  2. (of an interval or chord) in root position; not inverted
adverb
21.
directly; straight: he went direct to the office
Derived Forms
directness, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin dīrectus; from dīrigere to guide, from dis- apart + regere to rule
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for directness

direct

v.

late 14c., "to write (to someone), to address," from Latin directus "straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + regere "to guide" (see regal). Cf. dress; address.

Meaning "to govern, regulate" is from c.1500; "to order, ordain" is from 1650s. Sense of "to write the destination on the outside of a letter" is from 16c. Of plays, films, etc., from 1913. Related: Directed; directing.

adj.

late 14c., from Latin directus "straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight" (see direct (v.)).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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