direct

A2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /dɑɪˈɹekt/ UK /daɪˈɹɛkt/ See IPA manual

Freq #2389

Meanings

1

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

Is there a direct flight from London to Tokyo?
2

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

I appreciate that she gave me a direct answer.
3

adj
With nothing or no one in between.

The plants need direct sunlight to grow well.
4

adj
Being an immediate result or cause of something.

The flooding was a direct result of the heavy rain.
5

adv
Straight, without changing course.

The train goes direct to the airport.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · with nothing or no one in... unmediated

5 adv · straight, without changing... straight

More explicit patent univocal

Opposites

indirect

Word family

Forms directeddirectingdirectnessdirectsundirected

Derived forms co-directcodirectdirect-to-celldirect-to-cellphonedirect-to-cellulardirect-to-consumerdirect-to-dvddirect-to-homedirect-to-streamingdirect-to-tvdirect-to-videodirectability

Related forms adroit direction directly director dirge dirigible dress

Etymology

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”).

*h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European dīrēctus Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# direct

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, adv
**IPA (US):** /dɑɪˈɹekt/
**IPA (UK):** /daɪˈɹɛkt/
**Frequency rank:** 2389

## Meanings
1. Going straight from one point to another, without stops or detours.
2. Honest and clear in speech or manner; saying exactly what you mean.
3. With nothing or no one in between.
4. Being an immediate result or cause of something.
5. Straight, without changing course.

## Examples
- Is there a direct flight from London to Tokyo?
- I appreciate that she gave me a direct answer.
- The plants need direct sunlight to grow well.
- The flooding was a direct result of the heavy rain.
- The train goes direct to the airport.

## Synonyms
- explicit
- patent
- univocal

## Antonyms
- indirect

## Derived Forms
- co-direct
- codirect
- direct-to-cell
- direct-to-cellphone
- direct-to-cellular
- direct-to-consumer
- direct-to-dvd
- direct-to-home
- direct-to-streaming
- direct-to-tv
- direct-to-video
- directability

## Related Forms
- adroit
- direction
- directly
- director
- dirge
- dirigible
- dress

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃reǵ-
- Root: dīrēctus

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
direct was 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”). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ-, Latin dīrēctus. Current senses include Going straight from one point to another, without stops or detours and Honest and clear in speech or manner; saying exactly what you mean. English relatives and later formations include co-direct, codirect, direct-to-cell, adroit, direction.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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direct

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