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Webster 1913 Edition

Direct

Di-rect′

,
Adj.
[L.
directus
, p. p. of
dirigere
to direct: cf. F.
direct
. See
Dress
, and cf.
Dirge
.]
1.
Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end;
as, a
direct
line;
direct
means.
What is
direct
to, what slides by, the question.
Locke.
2.
Straightforward; not of crooked ways, or swerving from truth and openness; sincere; outspoken.
Be even and
direct
with me.
Shakespeare
3.
Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.
He nowhere, that I know, says it in
direct
words.
Locke.
A
direct
and avowed interference with elections.
Hallam.
4.
In the line of descent; not collateral;
as, a descendant in the
direct
line
.
5.
(Astron.)
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.

Di-rect′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Directed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Directing
.]
1.
To arrange in a direct or straight line, as against a mark, or towards a goal; to point; to aim;
as, to
direct
an arrow or a piece of ordnance
.
2.
To point out or show to (any one), as the direct or right course or way; to guide, as by pointing out the way;
as, he
directed
me to the left-hand road
.
The Lord
direct
your into the love of God.
2 Thess. iii. 5.
The next points to which I will
direct
your attention.
Lubbock.
3.
To determine the direction or course of; to cause to go on in a particular manner; to order in the way to a certain end; to regulate; to govern;
as, to
direct
the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army
.
I will
direct
their work in truth.
Is. lxi. 8.
4.
To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order;
as, he
directed
them to go
.
I ’ll first
direct
my men what they shall do.
Shakespeare
Syn. – To guide; lead; conduct; dispose; manage; regulate; order; instruct; command.

Di-rect′

,
Verb.
I.
To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide.
Wisdom is profitable to
direct
.
Eccl. x. 10.

Di-rect′

,
Noun.
(Mus.)
A character, thus [[GREEK]], placed at the end of a staff on the line or space of the first note of the next staff, to apprise the performer of its situation.
Moore (Encyc. of Music).

Webster 1828 Edition

Direct

DIRECT

,
Adj.
[L., to make straight. See Right.]
1.
Straight; right; as, to pass in a direct line from one body or place to another. It is opposed to crooked, winding, oblique. It is also opposed to refracted; as a direct ray of light.
2.
In astronomy, appearing to move forward in the zodiac, in the direction of the sign; opposed to retrograde; as, the motion of a planet is direct.
3.
In the line of father and sons; opposed to collateral; as a descendant in the direct line.
4.
Leading or tending to an end, as by a straight line or course; not circuitous. Thus we speak of direct means to effect an object; a direct course; a direct way.
5.
Open; not ambiguous or doubtful.
6.
Plain; express; not ambiguous; as, he said this in direct words; he made a direct acknowledgment.
7.
In music, a direct interval is that which forms any kind of harmony on the fundamental sound which produces it; as the fifth, major third and octave.
Direct tax, is a tax assess on real estate, as houses and lands.

DIRECT

,
Verb.
T.
[L.]
1.
To point or aim in a straight line, towards a place or object; as, to direct an arrow or a piece of ordnance; to direct the eye; to direct a course or flight.
2.
To point; to show the right road or course; as, he directed me to the left hand road.
3.
To regulate; to guide or lead; to govern; to cause to proceed in a particular manner; as, to direct the affairs of a nation.
Wisdom is profitable to direct. Ecclesiastes 10.
4.
To prescribe a course; to mark out a way. Job 37.
5.
To order; to instruct; to point out a course of proceeding, with authority; to command. But direct is a softer term than command.

DIRECT

,
Noun.
In music, a character placed at the end of a stave to direct the performer to the first note of the next stave.

Definition 2024

direct

direct

English

Adjective

direct ‎(comparative directer, superlative directest)

  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.
    • Shakespeare
      Be even and direct with me.
  4. Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.
    • John Locke
      He nowhere, that I know, says it in direct words.
    • Hallam
      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

Translations

Antonyms

Derived terms

Adverb

direct ‎(comparative more direct, superlative most direct)

  1. Directly.
    • 2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate 2010, p. 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 or show to (somebody) the right course or way; to guide, as by pointing out the way.
    He directed me to the left-hand road.
    • Lubbock
      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.
    • Shakespeare
      I'll first direct my men what they shall do.
  5. (dated) To put a direction or address upon; to mark with the name and residence of the person to whom anything is sent.
    to direct a letter

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

direct ‎(comparative directer, superlative directst)

  1. direct

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

French

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

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

Adjective

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

  1. direct

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.'
Related terms
Derived terms
See also

Anagrams

Norman

Etymology

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

Adjective

direct m

  1. (Jersey) direct

Derived terms

Romanian

Etymology

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

Adjective

direct

  1. direct
  2. head-on

Adverb

direct

  1. directly
  2. straight

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dɪˈɹɛkt/, /daɪˈɹɛkt/, /dəˈɹɛkt/
  • Rhymes: -ɛkt
  • Hyphenation: di‧rect

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