direct definition

English direct definition

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧rect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Adjective

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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     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.

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• indirect

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

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.

Verb

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

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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     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:

     [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.

Derived terms

• co-direct, codirect
• misdirect
• redirect

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Credit, credit, triced

Dutch direct definition

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French direct, from Latin dīrēctus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diˈrɛkt/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧rect
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

Adjective

direct (comparative directer, superlative directst)

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

Inflection

Inflection of direct
uninflected	direct
inflected	directe
comparative	directer
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		direct	directer	het directst het directste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	directe	directere	directste
	n. sing.	direct	directer	directste
	plural	directe	directere	directste
definite		directe	directere	directste
partitive		directs	directers	—

Adverb

direct

1. immediately

Synonyms

• onmiddellijk
• meteen
• rechtstreeks

Derived terms

• drek

Descendants

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

French direct definition

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.ʁɛkt/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: directe, directes, directs

Etymology 1

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

Adjective

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

1. direct

Noun

direct m (plural directs)

1. (media) live broadcast, live reporting

   Synonym: live

Etymology 2

From directement.

Adverb

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.

Derived terms

Related terms

• diriger
• directeur
• direction

See also

• droit

Further reading

• “direct”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• crédit
• décrit
• dicter

German direct definition

Adjective

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.

Declension

Norman direct definition

Etymology

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

Adjective

direct m

1. (Jersey) direct

Derived terms

• directément (“directly”)

Romanian direct definition

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diˈrekt/

Adjective

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

1. direct
2. head-on

Declension

Adverb

direct

1. directly
2. straight