Directly vs. Direct

In a direct manner; in a straight line or course.

Example: ‘He drove directly to the office, and didn't stop off at the petrol station.’;

In a straightforward way; without anything intervening; not by secondary, but by direct means.

Example: ‘I'm sick of asking you to fire him, I'll just do it directly.’;

Plainly, without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms.

Example: ‘I'm going to tell Natalie directly that I love her.’; ‘To put it more directly: he's not 'made redundant' but sacked.’;

Exactly; just.

Example: ‘It's directly across the street.’;

Straightforwardly; honestly.

Example: ‘He told me directly that he'd cheated on me, and how sorry he was for it.’;

(dated) Immediately.

Soon; next; when it becomes convenient.

Example: ‘We'll go to the store directly, but first I need to finish sweeping.’;

As soon as; immediately (elliptical for directly that/as/when)

In a direct manner; in a straight line or course.

Example: ‘Indirectly and directly tooThou hast contrived against the very lifeOf the defendant.’;

In a straightforward way; without anything intervening; not by secondary, but by direct, means.

Without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms.

Example: ‘No man hath hitherto been so impious as plainly and directly to condemn prayer.’;

Exactly; just.

Example: ‘Stand you directly in Antonius' way.’;

Straightforwardly; honestly.

Example: ‘I have dealt most directly in thy affair.’;

Manifestly; openly.

Example: ‘Desdemona is directly in love with him.’;

Straightway; next in order; without delay; immediately.

Immediately after; as soon as.

Example: ‘Directly he stopped, the coffin was removed.’;

without deviation;

Example: ‘the path leads directly to the lake’; ‘went direct to the office’;

without anyone or anything intervening;

Example: ‘these two factors are directly related’; ‘he was directly responsible’; ‘measured the physical properties directly’;

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening;

Example: ‘he answered immediately’; ‘found an answer straightaway’; ‘an official accused of dishonesty should be suspended forthwith’; ‘Come here now!’;

in a forthright manner; candidly or frankly;

Example: ‘he didn't answer directly’; ‘told me straight out’; ‘came out flat for less work and more pay’;

Proceeding without deviation or interruption.

Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end.

Example: ‘the most direct route between two buildings’;

Straightforward; sincere.

Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.

In the line of descent; not collateral.

Example: ‘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.

Example: ‘direct nomination; direct legislation’;

having a single flight number.

Directly.

To manage, control, steer.

Example: ‘to direct the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army’;

To aim (something) at (something else).

Example: ‘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.

Example: ‘He directed me to the left-hand road.’;

To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order.

Example: ‘She directed them to leave immediately.’;

(dated) To put a direction or address upon; to mark with the name and residence of the person to whom anything is sent.

Example: ‘to direct a letter’;

Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end; as, a direct line; direct means.

Example: ‘What is direct to, what slides by, the question.’;

Straightforward; not of crooked ways, or swerving from truth and openness; sincere; outspoken.

Example: ‘Be even and direct with me.’;

Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.

Example: ‘He nowhere, that I know, says it in direct words.’; ‘A direct and avowed interference with elections.’;

In the line of descent; not collateral; as, a descendant in the direct line.

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.

Pertaining to, or effected immediately by, action of the people through their votes instead of through one or more representatives or delegates; as, direct nomination, direct legislation.

To arrange in a direct or straight line, as against a mark, or towards a goal; to point; to aim; as, to direct an arrow or a piece of ordnance.

To point out or show to (any one), as the direct or right course or way; to guide, as by pointing out the way; as, he directed me to the left-hand road.

Example: ‘The Lord direct your into the love of God.’; ‘The next points to which I will direct your attention.’;

To determine the direction or course of; to cause to go on in a particular manner; to order in the way to a certain end; to regulate; to govern; as, to direct the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army.

Example: ‘I will direct their work in truth.’;

To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order; as, he directed them to go.

Example: ‘I 'll first direct my men what they shall do.’;

To put a direction or address upon; to mark with the name and residence of the person to whom anything is sent; to superscribe; as, to direct a letter.

To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide.

Example: ‘Wisdom is profitable to direct.’;

A character, thus [ ], placed at the end of a staff on the line or space of the first note of the next staff, to apprise the performer of its situation.

command with authority;

Example: ‘He directed the children to do their homework’;

intend (something) to move towards a certain goal;

Example: ‘He aimed his fists towards his opponent's face’; ‘criticism directed at her superior’; ‘direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself’;

guide the actors in (plays and films)

be in charge of

take somebody somewhere;

Example: ‘We lead him to our chief’; ‘can you take me to the main entrance?’; ‘He conducted us to the palace’;

cause to go somewhere;

Example: ‘The explosion sent the car flying in the air’; ‘She sent her children to camp’; ‘He directed all his energies into his dissertation’;

aim or direct at; as of blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment;

Example: ‘Please don't aim at your little brother!’; ‘He trained his gun on the burglar’; ‘Don't train your camera on the women’; ‘Take a swipe at one's opponent’;

lead, as in the performance of a composition;

Example: ‘conduct an orchestra; Bairenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years’;

give directions to; point somebody into a certain direction;

Example: ‘I directed them towards the town hall’;

specifically design a product, event, or activity for a certain public

direct the course; determine the direction of travelling

put an address on (an envelope, for example)

plan and direct (a complex undertaking);

Example: ‘he masterminded the robbery’;

direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short;

Example: ‘a direct route’; ‘a direct flight’; ‘a direct hit’;

immediate or direct in bearing or force; having nothing intervening;

Example: ‘in direct sunlight’; ‘in direct contact with the voters’; ‘direct exposure to the disease’; ‘a direct link’; ‘the direct cause of the accident’;

extended senses; direct in means or manner or behavior or language or action;

Example: ‘a direct question’; ‘a direct response’; ‘a direct approach’;

in a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child;

Example: ‘lineal ancestors’; ‘lineal heirs’; ‘a direct descendant of the king’; ‘direct heredity’;

moving from west to east on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in the same direction as the Earth

similar in nature or effect or relation to another quantity;

Example: ‘a term is in direct proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other increases (or decreases)’;

of a current flowing in one direction only; not alternating;

Example: ‘direct current’;

as an immediate result or consequence;

Example: ‘a direct result of the accident’;

in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker;

Example: ‘a direct quotation’; ‘repeated their dialog verbatim’;

effected directly by action of the voters rather than through elected representatives;

Example: ‘many people favor direct election of the President rather than election by the Electoral College’;

exact;

Example: ‘the direct opposite’;

without deviation;

Example: ‘the path leads directly to the lake’; ‘went direct to the office’;

extending or moving from one place to another without changing direction or stopping

Example: ‘there was no direct flight that day’;

(of apparent planetary motion) proceeding from west to east in accord with actual motion.

without intervening factors or intermediaries

Example: ‘the complications are a direct result of bacteria spreading’; ‘I had no direct contact with Mr Clark’;

(of light or heat) proceeding from a source without being reflected or blocked

Example: ‘ferns like a bright position out of direct sunlight’;

(of genealogy) proceeding in continuous succession from parent to child

Example: ‘a direct descendant of Edward III’;

(of a quotation) taken from someone's words without being changed.

(of taxation) levied on income or profits rather than on goods or services.

complete (used for emphasis)

Example: ‘attitudes which were in direct contrast to the confrontational perspectives of the past’;

(of a person or their behaviour) going straight to the point; frank

Example: ‘he is very direct and honest’;

(of evidence or proof) bearing immediately and unambiguously upon the facts at issue

Example: ‘there is no direct evidence that officials accepted bribes’;

perpendicular to a surface; not oblique

Example: ‘a direct butt joint between surfaces of steel’;

with no one or nothing in between

Example: ‘they seem reluctant to deal with me direct’;

by a straight route or without breaking a journey

Example: ‘Austrian Airlines are flying direct to Innsbruck again’;

control the operations of; manage or govern

Example: ‘an economic elite directed the nation's affairs’;

supervise and control (a film, play, or other production, or the actors in it)

Example: ‘the film is directed by Sir Richard Attenborough’;

train and conduct (a group of musicians).

aim (something) in a particular direction or at a particular person

Example: ‘his smile was directed at Lois’; ‘heating ducts to direct warm air to rear-seat passengers’;

tell or show (someone) how to get somewhere

Example: ‘can you direct me to the railway station, please?’;

address or give instructions for the delivery of (a letter or parcel)

Example: ‘put them all in one packet, and direct them to me’;

focus (one's thoughts) on or address (one's efforts) towards something.

address a comment to or aim a criticism at

Example: ‘I suggest that he direct his remarks to the council’; ‘his criticism was directed at the wastage of ammunition’;

target a product or advertisement specifically at (someone)

Example: ‘the book is directed at the younger reader’;

guide or advise in a course or decision

Example: ‘the conscience of the credulous prince was directed by saints and bishops’;

give (someone) an official order or authoritative instruction

Example: ‘the judge directed him to perform community service’; ‘he directed that no picture from his collection could be sold’;