direction

[ dih-rek-shuhn, dahy- ]

/ dɪˈrɛk ʃən, ˈdaɪ- /

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See synonyms for: direction / directions / directionless on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or an instance of directing.

the line along which anything lies, faces, moves, etc., with reference to the point or region toward which it is directed: The storm moved in a northerly direction.

the point or region itself: The direction is north.

a position on a line extending from a specific point toward a point of the compass or toward the nadir or the zenith.

a line of thought or action or a tendency or inclination: the direction of contemporary thought.

Usually directions. instruction or guidance for making, using, etc.: directions for baking a cake.

order; command.

management; control; guidance; supervision: a company under good direction.

a directorate.

the name and address of the intended recipient as written on a letter, package, etc.

decisions in a stage or film production as to stage business, speaking of lines, lighting, and general presentation.

the technique, act, or business of making such decisions, managing and training a cast of actors, etc.

the technique, act, or business of directing an orchestra, concert, or other musical presentation or group.

Music. a symbol or phrase that indicates in a score the proper tempo, style of performance, mood, etc.

a purpose or orientation toward a goal that serves to guide or motivate; focus: He doesn't seem to have any direction in life.

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of direction

1375–1425; late Middle English direccioun (<Middle French ) <Latin dīrēctiōn- (stem of dīrēctiō ) “arranging in line, straightening.” See direct, -ion

synonym study for direction

5. See tendency.

OTHER WORDS FROM direction

di·rec·tion·less, adjectivepre·di·rec·tion, nounself-di·rec·tion, nounsu·per·di·rec·tion, noun

Words nearby direction

direct-examine, direct free kick, direct-grant school, direct injection, direct input, direction, directional, directional derivative, directional drilling, directional microphone, direction angle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use direction in a sentence

Now, barely a week later, Epstein's home in North Hollywood, California, has AT&T fiber service with unlimited data and advertised speeds of 300Mbps in both directions.
AT&T scrambles to install fiber for 90-year-old after his viral WSJ ad|Jon Brodkin|February 12, 2021|Ars Technica
Light winds pick up just a tad from the northeasterly direction before dawn.
D.C.-area forecast: Raw today. Iciness threat grows Saturday into early Sunday.|A. Camden Walker|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Those fans can take today’s hearing as a step, however small, in the direction of Spears’s increased autonomy.
Britney Spears’s conservatorship is back in court — and back in the public eye|Ashley Fetters|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
In every direction, seawater creeps higher and higher, slopping across the floor of nearby buildings.
Aromas can evoke beloved journeys — or voyages not yet taken|Jen Rose Smith|February 11, 2021|Washington Post

Either of those words alone point in the direction of filling, comfort-food satisfaction, but together they are practically a guarantee.
Chili-tinged sweet potatoes are loaded in all the right ways - flavor, nutrition and satisfaction|Ellie Krieger|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Pleasure shoots magically in every direction like an explosion of sparks.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Absent a body, no one can say with absolute certainty whether Castro is dead, even if all signs point in that direction.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
An arrow appears indicating the direction you will launch your ball.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They had hoped the autopsy would show Brinsley had eaten something that would point them in the right direction.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ATSB has been impressive in the way it has taken over the direction of the search for Flight 370.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A lateen sail was visible in the direction of Cat Island, and others to the south seemed almost motionless in the far distance.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
After a bit of waiting, Mac decided that the smoke was floating from a certain direction, and we began to edge carefully that way.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Even genius, however, needs direction and adjustment to secure the most perfect and reliable results.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
Now many people think that we are moving in the direction of world socialism to-day.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
His superior talents and untiring industry were under the direction of philanthropic and Christian impulses.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

British Dictionary definitions for direction

direction

/ (dɪˈrɛkʃən, daɪ-) /

noun

the act of directing or the state of being directed

management, control, or guidance

the work of a stage or film director

the course or line along which a person or thing moves, points, or lies

the course along which a ship, aircraft, etc, is travelling, expressed as the angle between true or magnetic north and an imaginary line through the main fore-and-aft axis of the vessel

the place towards which a person or thing is directed

a line of action; course

the name and address on a letter, parcel, etc

music the process of conducting an orchestra, choir, etc

music an instruction in the form of a word or symbol heading or occurring in the body of a passage, movement, or piece to indicate tempo, dynamics, mood, etc

(modifier) maths

(of an angle) being any one of the three angles that a line in space makes with the three positive directions of the coordinate axes. Usually given as α, β, and γ with respect to the x-, y-, and z- axes
(of a cosine) being the cosine of any of the direction angles

Other Idioms and Phrases with direction

direction

see step in the right direction.

direction

Origin of direction

synonym study for direction

OTHER WORDS FROM direction

Words nearby direction

Words related to direction

How to use direction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for direction

Other Idioms and Phrases with direction