direct - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Borrowed from Latin dīrēctus, 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”).

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.
  4. Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.
    • 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

straight, constant, without interruption

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), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] 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; to refer.
    Synonym: point
    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.
  5. (dated) To address (a letter) to a particular person or place.
    • 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 310:
      [A]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.

to manage, control, steer

to be in charge of the direction of a play

to order

Borrowed from Middle French direct, from Latin dīrēctus.

direct (comparative directer, superlative directst)

  1. direct, immediate
    Antonym: indirect
  2. direct, blunt, frank
Declension of direct
uninflected direct
inflected directe
comparative directer
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial direct directer het directsthet directste
indefinite m./f. sing. directe directere directste
n. sing. direct directer directste
plural directe directere directste
definite directe directere directste
partitive directs directers —

direct

  1. immediately

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

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

  1. direct
    Antonym: indirect

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.

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.

Comparative forms of direct

Superlative forms of direct

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

direct m

  1. (Jersey) direct

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

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

  1. direct
  2. head-on

direct

  1. directly
  2. straight