direct

Word family (noun) direction directness director (adjective) direct ≠ indirect (verb) direct redirect (adverb) directly ≠ indirectly

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdirectdi‧rect1 /dəˈrekt, ˌdaɪˈrekt◂/ S2 W1 adjective 1 without involving othersPERSONALLY/YOURSELF done without any other people, actions, processes etc coming between OPP indirect Experienced users have direct access to the main data files. I’m not in direct contact with them. Few policy-makers have had direct experience of business.direct effect/impact/influence etc Educational level has a sizeable direct effect on income.direct link/connection/relationship etc There is a direct link between poverty and ill-health.direct result/consequence The decision to close the hospital is a direct result of Government health policy. 2 from one place to anotherSTRAIGHT going straight from one place to another without stopping or changing direction OPP indirect Which is the most direct route to London? a direct flight to New York3 exact [only before noun]EXACT exact or total Weight increases in direct proportion to mass. For Lawrence, in direct contrast to Adam, everything seemed to come so easily. a direct quote (=exact words) from the book 4 behaviour/attitudeHONEST saying exactly what you mean in an honest clear way OPP indirect Women often feel men are too direct and not sympathetic enough. Now, let me ask you a direct question, and I expect a direct answer.► see thesaurus at honest 5 → direct descendant6 → direct hit7 → direct heat/sunlight → directly1 , directnessCOLLOCATIONSnounsdirect accessVery few people have direct access to the president.direct contactThe disease is only spread by direct contact between people.a direct link/connectionThe campaign makes a direct link between global warming and the consumption of energy in the home.a direct relationshipWe think having a direct relationship with customers is very important.a direct effect/impactOur organization’s work has a direct impact upon children’s lives in this country.a direct result/consequenceMany illnesses here are a direct consequence of bad diet.direct experiencePeople learn best through direct experience.direct evidenceThere is no direct evidence that this causes any harm.direct controlThe state has direct control over certain industries. Examples from the Corpusdirect• Russell Glass of Premier Partners is more direct.• People were often scared of my father, who was very direct.• I have direct access to the company's database.• The government's concern has led it to exert fairly direct, although informal, control over the pay bargaining process.• A satisfactory alternative or addition to biliary brush cytology is direct biopsy of the stricture using small forceps under fluoroscopic control.• We have had no direct contact with any government officials.• I'm not in direct contact with them.• Tyler's fierce public image was a direct contrast to his tender love for his family.• Sue has direct control over the business.• From 1914 to 1918 the British people had their first direct experience of war from the air.• We can get a direct flight to New York.• There are also new direct flights from Newcastle, Norwich and Birmingham.• Cutbacks in defense spending will have a direct impact on 80,000 jobs.• With her direct manner and good head for business she was soon promoted.• Accounting tends to supersede direct observation because the units to be controlled are usually many and they are also probably geographically dispersed.• The file designer will find it worthwhile to examine every direct processing application of an indexed sequential file critically.• Weight increases in direct proportion to mass.• But poverty is also the direct result of a new historical disadvantage: the exclusion of older men and women from work.• Which is the most direct route to London from here?• Shade Road would be a more direct route to the freeway.• It's best to be direct when talking with the management. direct result/consequence• None spoke of stress but all were suffering from it, and their physical symptoms were the direct result.• But poverty is also the direct result of a new historical disadvantage: the exclusion of older men and women from work.• The differences are the direct result of evolution.• Debt is the direct result of the banking structure that has enriched the G7 leading industrial nations.• The change was thought to be a direct consequence of the protest action taken by conscripts in May.• Much of this is the direct result of the selection of more optimal sites for planting the grape.• They were a direct result of the Uprising.• The first of these events was a direct consequence of the war.direct flight• There are also new direct flights from Newcastle, Norwich and Birmingham.• However, direct flight had its drawbacks as well.• Nova was developing in parallel as a booster capable of hurling a spacecraft to the Moon on a direct flight mission.• A late morning direct flight takes you to Kathmandu where you will stay at the Oberoi Soaltee Hotel for 2 nights.• On the grounds of minimizing risk, many of them had decided on a direct flight that did not involve docking spacecraft.• She argued in favour of a direct flight to London and then on to Jersey.• Fast direct flight with quick clipped wing-beats; at rest bobs head when suspicious. in direct contrast to• This is in direct contrast to the company's more secretive past as part of the Central Electricity Generating Board.Related topics: Theatre, Mediadirectdirect2 S3 W2 verb 1 aim [transitive always + adverb/preposition]DIRECTION to aim something in a particular direction or at a particular person, group etcdirect something at/towards etc something The machine directs an X-ray beam at the patient’s body. The new route directs lorries away from the town centre. I’d like to direct your attention to paragraph four. I want to direct my efforts more towards my own projects. 2 be in charge [transitive]IN CHARGE OF to be in charge of something or control it Mr Turner was directing the investigation from a very early stage. The choir was directed by Sir David Willcocks. 3 film/playAPTAM [intransitive, transitive] to give the actors in a play, film, or television programme instructions about what they should do The play was directed by Frank Hauser.4 way/route [transitive] formal to tell someone how to get to a placedirect somebody to something Could you direct me to Trafalgar Square, please?► see thesaurus at lead5 tell somebody to do something [transitive] formal to tell someone what they should do SYN orderdirect somebody to do something The judge directed the jury to find Mr Baggs not guilty.direct that He directed that his body should be buried in Upton.► see thesaurus at order → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpusdirect• Now he directed a section of the Military Intelligence unit concerned with the security of the state from threats outside its boundaries.• Top level managers direct all computer-related activities in an organization.• Steinberg directed Argonne's chemistry division from 1982 to 1988.• All too often attention is directed away from the present encounter to the next so that response is reduced to a minimum.• It was a troubled film, directed by Sam Peckinpah who constantly had the Columbia Studio brass breathing down his neck.• Those who are directing the ballpark construction say the lift technology is tested and will pose little danger to workers.• A former Thompson campaign worker, Mary Crutchfield, 30, is directing the Dole effort in that state.• Evaluation can be directed towards the various aspects of the educational course or programme.• A steward directed us behind the stage and towards the dressing rooms.• Go and ask the patrolman - he'll direct you to the freeway. direct ... efforts• This focus can be used to direct all recruitment efforts.• But how best to direct our efforts for improvement is bound up with our perceptions of the reasons for the differences.• Organizational goals are clearly specified to direct efforts of employees toward greater efficiency.• Local economic development strategies divert attention and resources of government away from direct efforts to resolve social problems. 7.• We are committed to prudent exploration and will direct efforts to ventures which offer significant potential.• Negotiations with Moda'i Initially, Peres directed his efforts towards winning the support of small orthodox religious parties.direct somebody to something• A nurse directed us down the hallway to the birthing room.direct that• He also directed that full restitution be made and that Greenlaw serve three years of probation after completing his house arrest.• Or the settlor could direct that in a certain event a new use should spring up in D's favour.• One could well direct that question to the Labour party.• Burns' will directed that the money be used for college scholarships.• It may then direct that the records or documents be disclosed to other parties to the proceedings.directdirect3 adverb 1 STOP MOVINGwithout stopping or changing direction SYN directly Can we fly direct to Chicago, or do we stop in Salt Lake City first?2 IMMEDIATELYwithout dealing with anyone else first SYN directly Esther decided to contact the manager direct. It is usually cheaper to buy the goods direct from the wholesaler.Examples from the Corpusdirect• Dole spoke directly about his age, saying it was not a liability.• She's not directly involved in the selling side of the business.• Its knowledge comes to it direct.• They wanted to talk to you direct, but I said that would frighten you off.• Don the swank, hop on the Vespa, and scoot on down for a lesson in ska direct from Fresno.• It's usually cheaper to buy the goods direct from the wholesaler.• I'm flying direct to Dallas from Los Angeles.Origin direct1 (1300-1400) Latin directus, past participle of dirigere “to set straight, guide”

Quizzes

Take our quick quizzes to practise your vocabulary.
We have thousands of six-question quizzes to try.
Choose from collocations, synonyms, phrasal verbs and more.

More results

See all results

Pictures of the day

What are these?

Click on the pictures to check.

Explore topics

See all topics

Word of the day postpone to change the date or time of a planned event or action to a later one

Verb table

direct

Simple Form
Present
I, you, we, they	direct
he, she, it	directs
> View More
Past
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	directed
Present perfect
I, you, we, they	have directed
he, she, it	has directed
Past perfect
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	had directed
Future
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will direct
Future perfect
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will have directed
> View Less

Continuous Form
Present
I	am directing
he, she, it	is directing
> View More
you, we, they	are directing
Past
I, he, she, it	was directing
you, we, they	were directing
Present perfect
I, you, we, they	have been directing
he, she, it	has been directing
Past perfect
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	had been directing
Future
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will be directing
Future perfect
I, you, he, she, it, we, they	will have been directing
> View Less