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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of directed

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

Example Sentences

But that wasn’t the only reason locals sometimes directed their ire toward health workers.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

A Trump executive order in December 2025 directed Nasa to return astronauts to the Moon by 2028, when his term of office comes to an end, and establish initial base elements by 2030.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

“We’re directed at where the viewers are,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

"The fans are just brutal here," said Guercio, who remembers a 2000s rough patch marked by six straight seasons without a playoff berth and the "dirt chanting" directed at coach Isiah Thomas.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

Before the end of summer 1848, spirit raps directed the sisters and their supporters to dig once more for proof of the peddler.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• conducted