directed

American  

[dih-rek-tid, dahy-] / dɪˈrɛk tɪd, daɪ- /

adjective

1. guided, regulated, or managed.

   a carefully directed program.

2. subject to direction, guidance, regulation, etc.

3. pointed, aimed, or sent toward a place or object.

   Rooms need to have high air exchange rates, rapid air velocities, and directed airflows to minimize particle concentration.

4. Mathematics. (of an angle or vector) having positive or negative direction or orientation assigned.

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directed British  

/ daɪ-, dɪˈrɛktɪd /

adjective

1. maths (of a number, line, or angle) having either a positive or negative sign to distinguish measurement in one direction or orientation from that in the opposite direction or orientation

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Other Word Forms

• directedness noun
• overdirected adjective
• self-directed adjective
• well-directed adjective

Etymology

Origin of directed

First recorded in 1530–40; direct + -ed ²

Example Sentences

That skepticism is now being directed at Fox itself.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre could face disciplinary action at the Masters after he directed a middle finger at the 15th green during a quadruple bogey.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch and written by his frequent collaborator Samson Raphaelson, this Paramount picture, running a pert 82 minutes, positively shimmers with wit and sizzles with innuendo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Another film, written and directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Kristen Stewart, was released in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

He pointed two fingers, and the dogs began to run around him in a perfect circle; a closed fist then directed them to rise to their hind legs and yip.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• conducted