Wiktionary

direct

English

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Etymology

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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.

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”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /d(a)ɪˈɹɛkt/, /dəˈɹɛkt/, /daɪ̯əˈɹɛkt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: di‧rect
  • Rhymes: -ɛkt

Adjective

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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.
  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

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Adverb

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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

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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.
    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.

Derived terms

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Related terms

Translations

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Anagrams

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Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Middle French direct, from Latin dīrēctus.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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direct (comparative directer, superlative directst)

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

Declension

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Declension 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

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direct

  1. immediately

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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

French

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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

Adjective

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

  1. direct

Noun

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direct m (plural directs)

  1. (media) live broadcast, live reporting
    Synonym: live

Etymology 2

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From directement.

Adverb

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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
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See also
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Further reading

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Anagrams

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German

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Adjective

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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

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Positive forms of direct
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist direct sie ist direct es ist direct sie sind direct
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative directer directe directes directe
genitive directen directer directen directer
dative directem directer directem directen
accusative directen directe directes directe
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der directe die directe das directe die directen
genitive des directen der directen des directen der directen
dative dem directen der directen dem directen den directen
accusative den directen die directe das directe die directen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein directer eine directe ein directes (keine) directen
genitive eines directen einer directen eines directen (keiner) directen
dative einem directen einer directen einem directen (keinen) directen
accusative einen directen eine directe ein directes (keine) directen
Comparative forms of direct
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist directer sie ist directer es ist directer sie sind directer
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative directerer directere directeres directere
genitive directeren directerer directeren directerer
dative directerem directerer directerem directeren
accusative directeren directere directeres directere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der directere die directere das directere die directeren
genitive des directeren der directeren des directeren der directeren
dative dem directeren der directeren dem directeren den directeren
accusative den directeren die directere das directere die directeren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein directerer eine directere ein directeres (keine) directeren
genitive eines directeren einer directeren eines directeren (keiner) directeren
dative einem directeren einer directeren einem directeren (keinen) directeren
accusative einen directeren eine directere ein directeres (keine) directeren
Superlative forms of direct
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
predicative er ist am directesten sie ist am directesten es ist am directesten sie sind am directesten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative directester directeste directestes directeste
genitive directesten directester directesten directester
dative directestem directester directestem directesten
accusative directesten directeste directestes directeste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative der directeste die directeste das directeste die directesten
genitive des directesten der directesten des directesten der directesten
dative dem directesten der directesten dem directesten den directesten
accusative den directesten die directeste das directeste die directesten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative ein directester eine directeste ein directestes (keine) directesten
genitive eines directesten einer directesten eines directesten (keiner) directesten
dative einem directesten einer directesten einem directesten (keinen) directesten
accusative einen directesten eine directeste ein directestes (keine) directesten

Norman

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Etymology

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

Adjective

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direct m

  1. (Jersey) direct

Derived terms

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Romanian

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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

  1. direct
  2. head-on

Declension

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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

Adverb

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direct

  1. directly
  2. straight
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