Word Study
direct
OXFORD DICTIONARY
direct, adj., adv., & v.
--adj.
1 extending or moving in a straight line or by the shortest route; not crooked or circuitous.
2 a straightforward; going straight to the point. b frank; not ambiguous.
3 without intermediaries or the intervention of other factors (direct rule; the direct result; made a direct approach).
4 (of descent) lineal, not collateral.
5 exact, complete, greatest possible (esp. where contrast is implied) (the direct opposite).
6 Mus. (of an interval or chord) not inverted.
7 Astron. (of planetary etc. motion) proceeding from East to West; not retrograde.
--adv.
1 in a direct way or manner; without an intermediary or intervening factor (dealt with them direct).
2 frankly; without evasion.
3 by a direct route (send it direct to London).
--v.tr.
1 control, guide; govern the movements of.
2 (foll. by to + infin., or that + clause) give a formal order or command to.
3 (foll. by to) a address or give indications for the delivery of (a letter etc.). b tell or show (a person) the way to a destination.
4 (foll. by at, to, towards) a point, aim, or cause (a blow or missile) to move in a certain direction. b point or address (one's attention, a remark, etc.).
5 guide as an adviser, as a principle, etc. (I do as duty directs me).
6 a (also absol.) supervise the performing, staging, etc., of (a film, play, etc.). b supervise the performance of (an actor etc.).
7 (also absol.) guide the performance of (a group of musicians), esp. as a participant.
--adj.
1 extending or moving in a straight line or by the shortest route; not crooked or circuitous.
2 a straightforward; going straight to the point. b frank; not ambiguous.
3 without intermediaries or the intervention of other factors (direct rule; the direct result; made a direct approach).
4 (of descent) lineal, not collateral.
5 exact, complete, greatest possible (esp. where contrast is implied) (the direct opposite).
6 Mus. (of an interval or chord) not inverted.
7 Astron. (of planetary etc. motion) proceeding from East to West; not retrograde.
--adv.
1 in a direct way or manner; without an intermediary or intervening factor (dealt with them direct).
2 frankly; without evasion.
3 by a direct route (send it direct to London).
--v.tr.
1 control, guide; govern the movements of.
2 (foll. by to + infin., or that + clause) give a formal order or command to.
3 (foll. by to) a address or give indications for the delivery of (a letter etc.). b tell or show (a person) the way to a destination.
4 (foll. by at, to, towards) a point, aim, or cause (a blow or missile) to move in a certain direction. b point or address (one's attention, a remark, etc.).
5 guide as an adviser, as a principle, etc. (I do as duty directs me).
6 a (also absol.) supervise the performing, staging, etc., of (a film, play, etc.). b supervise the performance of (an actor etc.).
7 (also absol.) guide the performance of (a group of musicians), esp. as a participant.
Idiom
direct access the facility of retrieving data immediately from any part of a computer file. direct action action such as a strike or sabotage directly affecting the community and meant to reinforce demands on a government, employer, etc. direct address Computing an address (see ADDRESS n. 1c) which specifies the location of data to be used in an operation. direct current an electric current flowing in one direction only.
Usage
Abbr.: DC, d.c. direct debit an arrangement for the regular debiting of a bank account at the request of the payee. direct-grant school hist. (in the UK) a school receiving funds from the Government and not from a local authority. direct method a system of teaching a foreign language using only that language and without the study of formal grammar. direct object Gram. the primary object of the action of a transitive verb. direct proportion a relation between quantities whose ratio is constant. direct speech (or oration) words actually spoken, not reported in the third person. direct tax a tax levied on the person who ultimately bears the burden of it, esp. on income.
Derivative
directness n.
Etymology
ME f. L directus past part. of dirigere direct- (as DI-(2), regere put straight)
THESAURUS
direct
Attic, Ciceronian, Spartan, address, address to, administer, administrate, advise, advocate, aim, aim at, allude to, apply, appoint, arrowlike, articulated, artless, ascetic, assign, austere, bald, bare, be master, be responsible for, beam, bend, bid, bluff, blunt, born yesterday, brief, bring to attention, bring to notice, broad, broaden the mind, brusque, buckle down, call attention to, call on, call the shots, call the signals, call upon, candid, captain, carry on, carry out, carry through, cast, catechize, categorical, catenated, ceaseless, chair, charge, chart a course, chaste, childlike, cite, civilize, classic, clean-cut, clear, clear as crystal, clear as day, clear-cut, close, coach, coherent, command, commission, common, commonplace, concatenated, cond, conduct, conduct to, confer, confiding, conn, connected, consistent, constant, consult with, contiguous, continual, continued, continuing, continuous, control, counsel, coxswain, crisp, crystal-clear, crystalline, cyclical, dead, dead ahead, dead straight, deal with, decide, declare, decree, define, defined, definite, delicate, demonstrate, determine, devote, dictate, diphyletic, direct attention to, direct to, directionize, directly, discipline, dispose, distinct, divert, dominate, downright, drive, dry, due, due north, dull, easy, edify, educate, elegant, endless, engineer, enjoin, enlighten, escort, even, exact, explicit, express, faithful, family, fasten, featureless, fine, finished, firsthand, fix, fix on, flat, focus, focus on, forthright, frank, frankhearted, free, free-speaking, free-spoken, free-tongued, gapless, genealogical, genuine, give, give an order, give instruction, give lessons in, give the word, govern, graceful, gracile, ground, guide, guileless, handle, have the conn, head, head up, heart-to-heart, helm, hold on, homely, homespun, honest, horizontal, illumine, immediate, in a beeline, in a line, in line with, inartificial, incessant, incline, inerrable, inerrant, infallible, inform, ingenu, ingenuous, innocent, instruct, interminable, irreversible, issue a command, issue a writ, joined, jointless, keep, kibitz, lay, lead, lead on, lead to, lean, level, level at, limpid, lineal, linear, linked, literally, literatim, loud and clear, lucid, luminous, mail, make go, make the rules, manage, mandate, maneuver, manipulate, mastermind, mathematical, matter-of-fact, meddle, mention, microscopic, monotonous, naive, native, natural, navigate, neat, never-ending, next, nice, nonstop, officer, one-way, open, open the eyes, openhearted, operate, ordain, order, order about, outright, outspoken, pellucid, perennial, perform on, periodic, perspicuous, phyletic, phylogenetic, pick out, pilot, pinpoint, plain, plain-speaking, plain-spoken, play, point, point at, point out, point out to, point the way, point to, point-blank, polished, post, practice, precise, prescribe, present, preside over, primary, proclaim, promulgate, pronounce, propose, prosaic, prosing, prosy, proximate, pull the strings, pure, put right, quarterback, recommend, rectilineal, rectilinear, recurrent, reeducate, refer to, refined, regulate, religious, religiously exact, repetitive, require, restrained, right, rigid, rigorous, round, round-the-clock, route, rule, ruler-straight, run, running, rustic, say the word, school, scientific, scientifically exact, seamless, see, see to, send, serried, set, set right, set straight, settle, severe, shape a course, sharpen the wits, shepherd, shortest, show, show how, show the way, sight on, simple, simple-speaking, simplehearted, simpleminded, sincere, single-hearted, single-minded, skipper, smooth, sober, spare, specify, square, stable, stand over, stark, steady, steer, straight, straight across, straight ahead, straight-cut, straight-front, straight-out, straight-side, straightaway, straightforward, straightforwards, straightly, straightway, streamlined, strict, submit, subtle, suggest, superintend, superscribe, supervise, tactless, take care of, take command, take the lead, tasteful, teach, teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, tell, terse, through, throw, to the point, touch on, train, train upon, translucent, transparent, transpicuous, trim, true, trustful, trusting, turn, turn upon, twenty-four-hour, unadorned, unaffected, unambiguous, unartificial, unassuming, unbending, unbent, unbowed, unbroken, unceasing, unchecked, unconcealed, unconfused, unconstrained, uncurved, undeflected, undeviating, undeviatingly, undifferentiated, undiplomatic, undisguised, undissembled, undistorted, unending, unequivocal, unerring, unfeigning, unguarded, unidirectional, uniform, unimaginative, uninhibited, unintermitted, unintermittent, unintermitting, uninterrupted, univocal, unlabored, unmistakable, unmitigated, unobstructed, unpoetical, unpretending, unpretentious, unqualified, unrelieved, unremitting, unreserved, unrestrained, unsophisticated, unstopped, unsuspicious, unswerving, unswervingly, unturned, unvarnished, unveeringly, unwary, upright, usher, vertical, warn, wear the pants, well-defined, wield authority, wield the baton, word for word, workROGET THESAURUS
direct
Direction
VB direct, manage, govern, conduct, order, prescribe, cut out work for, bead, lead, lead the way, show the way, take the lead, lead on, regulate, guide, steer, pilot, tackle, take the helm, be at the helm, have the reins, handle the reins, hold the reins, take the reins, drive, tool, superintend, supervise, overlook, control, keep in order, look after, see to, legislate for, administer, ministrate, matronize, have the care of, have the charge of, be in charge of, have charge of, take the direction, boss, boss one around, pull the strings, pull the wires, rule, have the direction, hold office, hold the portfolio, preside, preside at the board, take the chair, occupy the chair, be in the chair, pull the stroke oar, tend towards, bend towards, point towards, conduct to, go to, point to, point at, bend, trend, verge, incline, dip, determine, steer for, steer towards, make for, make towards, aim at, level at, take aim, keep a course, hold a course, be bound for, bend one's steps towards, direct one's course, steer one's course, bend one's course, shape one's course, align one's march, allign one's march, to straight, go straight to the point, march on, march on a point, ascertain one's direction, s'orienter, see which way the wind blows, box the compass, take the air line.N direction, management, managery, government, gubernation, conduct, legislation, regulation, guidance, bossism, legislature, steerage, pilotage, reins, reins of government, helm, rudder, needle, compass, guiding star, load star, lode star, pole star, cynosure, supervision, superintendence, surveillance, oversight, eye of the master, control, charge, board of control, command, premiership, senatorship, director, chair, portfolio, statesmanship, statecraft, kingcraft, queencraft, ministry, ministration, administration, stewardship, proctorship, agency, director, directing, hegemonic, at the helm, at the head of, direction, bearing, course, vector, set, drift, tenor, tendency, incidence, bending, trending, dip, tack, aim, collimation, steering steerage, point of the compass, cardinal points, North East, South, West, N by E, ENE, NE by N, NE, rhumb, azimuth, line of collimation, line, path, road, range, quarter, line of march, alignment, allignment, air line, beeline, straight shoot, directed, directed towards, pointing towards, bound for, aligned, with alligned with, direct, straight, undeviating, unswerving, straightforward, North, Northern, Northerly, towards, on the road, on the high road to, en avant, versus, to, hither, thither, whither, directly, straight as an arrow, forwards as an arrow, point blank, in a bee line to, in a direct line to, as the crow flies, in a straight line to, in a bee line for, in a direct line for, in a straight line for, in a bee line with, in a direct line with, in a straight line with, in a line with, full tilt at, as the crow flies, before the wind, near the wind, close to the wind, against the wind, windwards, in the wind's eye, through, via, by way of, in all directions, in all manner of ways, quaquaversum, from the four winds, the shortest distance between two points is a stra.
Artlessness
N artlessness, nature, simplicity, innocence, bonhomie, naivete, abandon, candor, sincerity, singleness of purpose, singleness of heart, honesty, plain speaking, epanchement, rough diamond, matter of fact man, le palais de verite, enfant terrible, artless, natural, pure, native, confiding, simple, lain, inartificial, untutored, unsophisticated, ingenu, unaffected, naive, sincere, frank, open, open as day, candid, ingenuous, guileless, unsuspicious, honest, innocent, Arcadian, undesigning, straightforward, unreserved, aboveboard, simple-minded, single-minded, frank-hearted, open-hearted, single-hearted, simple-hearted, free-spoken, plain-spoken, outspoken, blunt, downright, direct, matter of fact, unpoetical, unflattering, in plain words, in plain English, without mincing the matter, not to mince the matter, Davus sum non Oedipus, liberavi animam meam, as frank as rain on cherry blossoms.Command
VB command, order, decree, enact, ordain, dictate, direct, give orders, prescribe, set, appoint, mark out, set a task, prescribe a task, impose a task, set to work, put in requisition, bid, enjoin, charge, call upon, instruct, require at the hands of, exact, impose, tax, task, demand, insist on, claim, lay claim to, revendicate, reclaim, cite, summon, call for, send for, subpoena, beckon, issue a command, make a requisition, issue a requisition, promulgate a requisition, make a decree, issue a decree, promulgate a decree, make an order, issue an order, promulgate an order, give the word of command, give the word, give the signal, call to order, give the law, lay down the law, assume the command, remand, be ordered, receive an order.Straightness
N straightness, rectilinearity, directness, inflexibility, straight line, right line, direct line, short cut, straight, rectilinear, rectilineal, direct, even, right, true, in a line, unbent, virgate, undeviating, unturned, undistorted, unswerving, straight as an arrow, inflexible, laser-straight, ramrod-straight.Teaching
VB teach, instruct, educate, edify, school, tutor, cram, prime, coach, enlighten, inculcate, indoctrinate, inoculate, infuse, instill, infix, ingraft, infiltrate, imbue, impregnate, implant, graft, sow the seeds of, disseminate, given an idea of, put up to, put in the way of, set right, sharpen the wits, enlarge the mind, give new ideas, open the eyes, bring forward, teach the young idea how to shoot, improve, expound, lecture, read a lesson, give a lesson, give a lecture, give a sermon, give a discourse, incept, hold forth, preach, sermonize, moralize, point a moral, train, discipline, bring up, bring up to, form, ground, prepare, qualify, drill, exercise, practice, habituate, familiarize with, nurture, drynurse, breed, rear, take in hand, break, break in, tame, preinstruct, initiate, inure, put to nurse, send to school, direct, guide, direct attention to, impress upon the mind, impress upon the memory, beat into, beat into the head, convince, book, workbook, exercise book, preach to the wise, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, teach granny to suck eggs, preach to the converted.For further exploring for "direct" in Webster Dictionary Online