direct
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
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.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
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: […] 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.
Synonyms[edit]
- (proceeding uninterrupted): immediate
- (express, plain, unambiguous): explicit, patent, univocal; see also Thesaurus:explicit
Antonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
|
|
Adverb[edit]
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:
Verb[edit]
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: […] 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 terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
|
|
|
|
Anagrams[edit]
Dutch[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Middle French direct, from Latin dīrēctus.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
direct (comparative directer, superlative directst)
Inflection[edit]
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[edit]
direct
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
French[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Borrowed from Latin dīrectus. Doublet of droit, which was inherited.
Adjective[edit]
direct (feminine singular directe, masculine plural directs, feminine plural directes)
Etymology 2[edit]
From directement.
Adverb[edit]
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 terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
See also[edit]
Anagrams[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “direct” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Norman[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin dīrectus, perfect passive participle of dīrigō, dīrigere (“straighten, direct”). Compare the inherited drait, drouait.
Adjective[edit]
direct m
Derived terms[edit]
- directément (“directly”)
Romanian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from French direct, Latin directus. Compare the inherited doublet drept.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
direct m or n (feminine singular directă, masculine plural direcți, feminine and neuter plural directe)
Declension[edit]
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[edit]
direct
- English terms borrowed from Latin
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:Astronomy
- en:Political science
- en:Aviation
- en:Travel
- English adverbs
- English verbs
- English dated terms
- Dutch terms borrowed from Middle French
- Dutch terms derived from Middle French
- Dutch terms derived from Latin
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio links
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch adjectives
- Dutch adverbs
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French terms with homophones
- French terms borrowed from Latin
- French terms derived from Latin
- French doublets
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- French adverbs
- French colloquialisms
- Norman terms borrowed from Latin
- Norman terms derived from Latin
- Norman lemmas
- Norman adjectives
- Jersey Norman
- Romanian terms borrowed from French
- Romanian terms derived from French
- Romanian terms borrowed from Latin
- Romanian terms derived from Latin
- Romanian doublets
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian lemmas
- Romanian adjectives
- Romanian adverbs