direct

American  

[dih-rekt, dahy-] / dɪˈrɛkt, daɪ- /

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 ortoward ).

   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.

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verb (used without object)

1. to act as a guide.

2. to give commands or orders.

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

adjective

1. proceeding in a straight line or by the shortest course; straight; undeviating; not oblique.

   a direct route.

2. proceeding in an unbroken line of descent; lineal rather than collateral.

   a direct descendant.

3. 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.

4. without intervening persons, influences, factors, etc.; immediate; personal.

   direct contact with the voters; direct exposure to a disease.

5. straightforward; frank; candid.

   the direct remarks of a forthright individual.

   Synonyms:

   outspoken, sincere, open

6. absolute; total; exact.

   the direct opposite.

7. consisting exactly of the words originally used; verbatim.

   direct quotation.

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

9. inevitable; consequential.

   War will be a direct result of such political action.

10. allocated for or arising from a particular known agency, process, job, etc..

    The new machine was listed by the accountant as a direct cost.

11. Electricity. of or relating to direct current.

12. 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.

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

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

adverb

1. in a direct manner; directly; straight.

   Answer me direct.

direct British  

/ daɪ-, dɪˈrɛkt /

verb

1. to regulate, conduct, or control the affairs of

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

8. (also intr)

   1. to conduct (a piece of music or musicians), usually while performing oneself

   2. another word (esp US) for conduct

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adjective

1. without delay or evasion; straightforward

   a direct approach

2. without turning aside; uninterrupted; shortest; straight

   a direct route

3. without intervening persons or agencies; immediate

   a direct link

4. honest; frank; candid

   a direct answer

5. (usually prenominal) precise; exact

   a direct quotation

6. diametrical

   the direct opposite

7. in an unbroken line of descent, as from father to son over succeeding generations

   a direct descendant

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

9. 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

10. astronomy moving from west to east on the celestial sphere Compare retrograde

11. 1. of or relating to direct current

    2. (of a secondary induced current) having the same direction as the primary current

12. music

    1. (of motion) in the same direction See motion

    2. (of an interval or chord) in root position; not inverted

adverb

1. directly; straight

   he went direct to the office

Usage

What are other ways to say direct? To direct is to manage or guide by advice, helpful information, or instruction. How is direct different from conduct, guide, and lead? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• directable adjective
• directness noun
• predirect verb (used with object)
• self-directing adjective
• semidirect adjective
• semidirectness noun

Etymology

Origin of direct

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English directen (verb) (from Anglo-French ), from Latin dīrēctus, past participle of dīrigere “to align, straighten, guide” (equivalent to dis-, dī- + -rigere, combining form of regere “to guide, rule”); see origin at di- ²

Explanation

If you direct somebody, you tell them where to go or what to do. You can also direct a play or direct someone to a gas station, by telling them what roads to take. Most uses of direct involving giving orders. Army officers direct battles, which means they plan what to do and how to carry it out. You can direct a kick toward the goal, which means you send the ball flying toward the net. When used as an adjective, direct often means to the point with no beating around the bush. If someone is direct, it means they say what they mean; if a plant is in direct sunlight, it gets a lot of sun.

Example Sentences

US envoys headed to the Pakistani capital Saturday in a bid to kickstart a new round of peace negotiations with Iran amid a fragile ceasefire, though the prospect of direct talks remained uncertain.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

But now, these companies will have to see if they can balance their massive AI spending with direct returns to shareholders.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

The dawn of the electrical age was constrained by a logistical bottleneck: Thomas Edison’s direct current systems could only transmit power about a mile before the voltage degraded.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

"We are building what we believe will become one of the most exciting independent football communities in the world - one that gives fans direct, personality-led content," said co-chair Neville at the time.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

But on Wednesday, Chief Warrant Officer Chuck Nole was asked to help direct the president’s flight around the mountain.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• address
• aim
• cast
• conduct
• focus
• head
• intend
• lead
• mean
• present
• see
• set
• show
• steer
• target
• train
• turn