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.
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: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by 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 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.
- 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: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by 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 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 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
PronunciationEdit
audio (file)
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
DescendantsEdit
- → Papiamentu: dirèkt
FrenchEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Borrowed from Latin dīrectus. Doublet of droit, which was inherited.
AdjectiveEdit
direct (feminine singular directe, masculine plural directs, feminine plural directes)
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.'
- Si t'as pas envie d'y aller, dis-le direct.
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
See alsoEdit
AnagramsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “direct” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
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