/ dəˈrekʃn; NAmE ; dɪ-; daɪ-/ noun
WHERE TO
1.
[ C , U ] the general position a person or thing moves or points towards :
Tom went off in the direction of home.
She glanced in his direction .
The aircraft was flying in a northerly direction.
The road was blocked in both directions.
They hit a truck coming in the opposite direction .
Has the wind changed direction ?
When the police arrived, the crowd scattered in all directions .
I lost all sense of direction (= I didn't know which way to go) .
DEVELOPMENT
2.
[ C , U ] the general way in which a person or thing develops :
The exhibition provides evidence of several new directions in her work.
I am very unhappy with the direction the club is taking.
It's only a small improvement, but at least it's a step in the right direction .
WHERE FROM
3.
[ C ] the general position a person or thing comes or develops from :
Support came from an unexpected direction.
Let us approach the subject from a different direction.
PURPOSE
4.
[ U ] a purpose; an aim :
We are looking for somebody with a clear sense of direction .
Once again her life felt lacking in direction.
INSTRUCTIONS
5.
[ C , usually pl. ] instructions about how to do sth, where to go, etc. :
Let's stop and ask for directions.
Simple directions for assembling the model are printed on the box.
CONTROL
6.
[ U ] the art of managing or guiding sb/sth :
All work was produced by the students under the direction of John Williams.
FILM / MOVIE
7.
[ U ] the instructions given by sb directing a film / movie :
There is some clever direction and the film is very well shot.
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IDIOMS
see pull verb
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in sense 2): from Latin directio(n-) , from the verb dirigere , from di- distinctly or de- down + regere put straight.