direct

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Going straight from one point to another, without stops or detours.

   Is there a direct flight from London to Tokyo?

2. 2
   adj

   Honest and clear in speech or manner; saying exactly what you mean.

   I appreciate that she gave me a direct answer.

3. 3
   adj

   With nothing or no one in between.

   The plants need direct sunlight to grow well.

4. 4
   adj

   Being an immediate result or cause of something.

   The flooding was a direct result of the heavy rain.

5. 5
   adv

   Straight, without changing course.

   The train goes direct to the airport.

Common collocations

• direct contact Adjective + noun
• direct hit Adjective + noun
• direct a film Verb + noun

Borrowed from Latin dīrēctus, 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”).

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