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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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

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

How to use direction in a sentence

The Navigator features a small dial on the dashboard that the driver turns in the direction they want the trailer to go, like a steering wheel for the trailer.
Backing up a trailer is really hard, but this $100,000 SUV offers a new solution|Dan Carney|November 19, 2020|Popular-Science
If you happened to be moving in the direction of flash A and away from flash B, you’d see A happen first, because B’s light would take ever so slightly longer to reach you.
When Einstein Tilted at Windmills - Issue 93: Forerunners|Amanda Gefter|November 18, 2020|Nautilus
They can get involved, they can help set the agenda and set the direction.
Trans, non-binary candidates make history in state legislative races|Parker Purifoy|November 18, 2020|Washington Blade
When the winds came from the direction of India, many of the particles they collected included smoke and soot.
Surprising long-haul dust and tar are melting high glaciers|Sid Perkins|November 17, 2020|Science News For Students

You can have a change of heart then, and pivot your life in a different direction.
Perez Hilton seeks forgiveness|Terri Schlichenmeyer|November 14, 2020|Washington Blade
As Taitz argues, Obama himself acknowledged that he was directionless when he started college.
Donald Trump's New Obama Conspiracy Theory|Michelle Goldberg|April 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It was a fine life, but the days blurred one into the next, directionless.
Makers|Cory Doctorow

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 related to direction

How to use direction in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for direction

Other Idioms and Phrases with direction