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| di·rect [ di rékt, dī rékt ] |
verb (past and past participle di·rect·ed, present participle di·rect·ing, 3rd person present singular di·rects) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb supervise somebody: to organize and control the work of an organization or a group of people
  I found her directing a team of rescue workers.
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2. transitive verb instruct somebody: to tell somebody to do something
(
formal
)
The medicine should be taken only as directed.
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3. transitive verb focus attention on something: to focus attention or concentrate activities on something
Please direct your attention toward the figures at the right of the screen.
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4. transitive verb aim or send something: to aim, point, or send something or somebody in a particular direction
Direct the extinguisher at the base of the flames.
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5. transitive verb address letter: to write an address on something to be delivered
The envelope was directed to our offices.
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6. transitive verb give somebody directions: to tell somebody how to get to a place
Can you direct me to the station?
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7. transitive verb address comments to somebody: to say something to somebody specifically
The remarks were directed to his sister.
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8. transitive and intransitive verb supervise movies or plays: to be responsible for supervising the creative aspects of a movie, play, or television program, giving instructions and guidance to the actors and other people involved
He has directed several movies.
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9. transitive verb music
Same as conductv (sense 4)
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adjective |
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| Definition: |
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1. not stopping or deviating: going straight from one place or point to another
a direct flight from Paris to Miami
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2. immediate: lacking the influence of any other factors
No direct link between the two events has been established.
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3. personal: in which no person, action, or process intervenes
We are in direct contact with them.
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4. straightforward: easy to understand or respond to
The author makes a direct appeal to our emotions.
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5. precise: having the characteristics of accuracy and precision
a direct quotation
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6. immediately related: connected by a straight and unbroken line of descent from parent to child
a direct descendant of George Washington
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7. complete or exact: showing complete contradiction or opposition
Their conclusions were in direct contradiction to ours.
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8. politics directly involving electorate: involving participation in government from the electorate rather than through electoral representatives
direct democracy
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9. mathematics logic working from premise to conclusion: working immediately from the premise to the conclusion in proving something
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10. astronomy moving west to east: moving from west to east as observed from celestial north
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adverb |
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| Definition: |
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1. straight, without diversion: straight from one place or person to another, without a stop or diversion
You can fly direct from Amsterdam to Chicago.
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2. directly: by an immediate connection, without somebody or something intervening
You can dial Calcutta direct.
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| [14th century. < Latin directus, past participle of dirigere "set straight, guide"] |
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| di·rect·ness noun |
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