direct

Borrowed from Latin dīrectus, perfect passive participle of dīrigō (“straighten, direct”), from dis- (“asunder, in pieces, apart, in two”) + regō (“make straight, rule”). Compare dress. Doublet of derecho.

For the meaning development compare with Russian напра́вить (naprávitʹ, “to direct, to turn, to aim, to level, to point”), отпра́вить (otprávitʹ, “to send, to dispatch, to forward”) connected with пра́вить (právitʹ, “to govern, to rule, to drive, to steer”).

• IPA^(key): /d(a)ɪˈɹɛkt/, /dəˈɹɛkt/, /daɪ̯əˈɹɛkt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧rect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

direct (comparative more direct, superlative most direct)

1. Proceeding without deviation or interruption.
2. Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end.

   the most direct route between two buildings

3. Straightforward; sincere.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     Be even and direct with me.

4. Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.
   • 1689 December (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 1, in Two Treatises of Government: , London: Awnsham Churchill, , →OCLC:

     He nowhere, that I know, says it in direct words.

   • 1827, Henry Hallam, “On the English Constitution from Henry VII. to Mary”, in The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. , volume I, London: John Murray, , →OCLC, page 48:

     Nor did the government scruple a direct and avowed interference with elections.

5. In the line of descent; not collateral.

   a descendant in the direct line

6. (astronomy) In the direction of the general planetary motion, or from west to east; in the order of the signs; not retrograde; said of the motion of a celestial body.
7. (political science) Pertaining to, or effected immediately by, action of the people through their votes instead of through one or more representatives or delegates.

   direct nomination; direct legislation

8. (aviation, travel) Having a single flight number.
9. (mathematics, logic, of a proof) Not employing the law of the excluded middle or argument by contradiction. Antonym: indirect

• (proceeding uninterrupted): immediate
• (express, plain, unambiguous): explicit, patent, univocal; see also Thesaurus:explicit

• indirect

direct (comparative more direct, superlative most direct)

1. Directly.
   • 1912, Central Provinces (India), Central Provinces District Gazetteers, page 96:

     The walls, which are fixed direct into the ground without a plinth, are made of wattle and plastered with a thin lair of mud or cowdung.

   • 2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate, published 2010, page 346:

     Presumably Mary is to carry messages that she, Anne, is too delicate to convey direct.

direct (third-person singular simple present directs, present participle directing, simple past and past participle directed)

1. To manage, control, steer.

   to direct the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army

   • 1712 (date written), Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. , London: J Tonson, , published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:

     Pent up in Utica he vainly forms
     A poor Epitome of Roman Greatneſs,
     And, cover’d with Numidian Guards, directs
     A feeble Army, and an empty Senate,
     Remnants of mighty Battels fought in vain.

2. To aim (something) at (something else).

   They directed their fire towards the men on the wall.

   He directed his question to the room in general.

3. To point out to or show (somebody) the right course or way; to guide, as by pointing out the way.

   He directed me to the left-hand road.

   • 1882, John Lubbock, Flowers, Fruits and Leaves:

     the next points to which I will direct your attention

4. To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order.

   She directed them to leave immediately.

   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     I'll first direct my men what they shall do.

5. (dated) To address (a letter) to a particular person or place.
   • 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 310:

     s I do not know where I shall be, and shall have my letters sent after me as soon as I do know, continue to direct hither.

• Credit, credit, triced

Borrowed from Middle French direct, from Latin dīrēctus.

• IPA^(key): /diˈrɛkt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧rect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

direct (comparative directer, superlative directst)

1. direct, immediate
2. direct, blunt, frank

direct

1. immediately

• drek

• Afrikaans: direk
• Javindo: direk, drek
• → Papiamentu: dirèkt
• → Sranan Tongo: dièkdirèk
  • → Caribbean Javanese: dirèg

• IPA^(key): /di.ʁɛkt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: directe, directes, directs

Borrowed from Latin dīrectus. Doublet of droit, which was inherited.

direct (feminine directe, masculine plural directs, feminine plural directes)

1. direct

direct m (plural directs)

1. (media) live broadcast, live reporting

   Synonym: live

From directement.

direct

1. (colloquial) directly

   Si t’as pas envie d’y aller, dis-le direct. ― If you don't want to go, say it straight up.

• diriger
• directeur
• direction

• droit

• “direct”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

• crédit
• décrit
• dicter

direct (strong nominative masculine singular directer, comparative directer, superlative am directesten)

1. Obsolete spelling of direkt which was deprecated in 1902 following the Second Orthographic Conference of 1901.

Borrowed from Latin dīrectus, perfect passive participle of dīrigō, dīrigere (“straighten, direct”). Compare the inherited drait, drouait.

direct m

1. (Jersey) direct

• directément (“directly”)

Borrowed from French direct, Latin directus. Compare the inherited doublet drept.

• IPA^(key): /diˈrekt/

direct m or n (feminine singular directă, masculine plural direcți, feminine and neuter plural directe)

1. direct
2. head-on

direct

1. directly
2. straight