direct
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
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.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
direct (comparative more direct, superlative most direct)
- Proceeding without deviation or interruption.
- 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
- Straightforward; sincere.
- c. 1599–1602, 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 606515358, [Act II, scene ii]:
- Be even and direct with me.
- Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.
- 1689 December (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 1, in Two Treatises of Government: […], London: […] Awnsham Churchill, […], OCLC 83985187:
- He nowhere, that I know, says it in direct words.
- 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England:
- a direct and avowed interference with elections
- In the line of descent; not collateral.
- a descendant in the direct line
- (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.
- (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
- (aviation, travel) having a single flight number.
SynonymsEdit
- (proceeding uninterrupted): immediate
- (express, plain, unambiguous): explicit, patent, univocal; see also Thesaurus:explicit
AntonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
Derived terms
TranslationsEdit
Straight, constant, without interruption
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AdverbEdit
direct (comparative more direct, superlative most direct)
- 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.
- 2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate 2010, p. 346:
VerbEdit
direct (third-person singular simple present directs, present participle directing, simple past and past participle directed)
- To manage, control, steer.
- to direct the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army
- 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.
- 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
- To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order.
- She directed them to leave immediately.
- c. 1597, William Shakespeare, “The Merry VViues of VVindsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- I'll first direct my men what they shall do.
- (dated) To address (a letter) to a particular person or place.
- 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview 2001, p. 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.
- 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview 2001, p. 310:
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
to manage, control, steer
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to be in charge of the direction of a film
to be in charge of the direction of a play
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to aim at
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to order
AnagramsEdit
DutchEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Middle French direct, from Latin dīrēctus.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
direct (comparative directer, superlative directst)
InflectionEdit
| 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 | — | |
AdverbEdit
direct
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
- Afrikaans: direk
- Javindo: direk, drek
- → Papiamentu: dirèkt
- → Sranan Tongo: dièkdirèk
- → Caribbean Javanese: dirèg
FrenchEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Borrowed from Latin dīrectus. Doublet of droit, which was inherited.
AdjectiveEdit
direct (feminine directe, masculine plural directs, feminine plural directes)
NounEdit
direct m (plural directs)
Etymology 2Edit
From directement.
AdverbEdit
direct
- (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 termsEdit
Related termsEdit
See alsoEdit
AnagramsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “direct”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
NormanEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Latin dīrectus, perfect passive participle of dīrigō, dīrigere (“straighten, direct”). Compare the inherited drait, drouait.
AdjectiveEdit
direct m
Derived termsEdit
- directément (“directly”)
RomanianEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from French direct, Latin directus. Compare the inherited doublet drept.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
direct m or n (feminine singular directă, masculine plural direcți, feminine and neuter plural directe)
DeclensionEdit
Declension of direct
| singular | plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
| nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | direct | directă | direcți | directe | ||
| definite | directul | directa | direcții | directele | |||
| genitive/ dative |
indefinite | direct | directe | direcți | directe | ||
| definite | directului | directei | direcților | directelor | |||
AdverbEdit
direct