Direct (Adjective)

Meaning ¹

(of a current) flowing in one direction only; "direct current".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The battery produced a direct current that powered the small motor.
• Direct current is used in most electronic devices, including smartphones and laptops.
• The engineer designed a circuit that converted alternating current to direct current.
• The direct current from the solar panel was used to charge the car's battery.
• The electric motor required a direct current to function efficiently.

Antonyms

• Alternating

Meaning ²

In precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker; "a direct quotation"; "repeated their dialog verbatim".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The politician's direct words were taken out of context by her opponents.
• The article included a direct quote from the famous scientist.
• The historian studied the direct accounts of the war written by soldiers who fought in it.
• The news report included a direct statement from the CEO of the company.
• The teacher assigned her students to read a direct translation of the ancient text.

Synonyms

• Verbatim

Meaning ³

Direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short; "a direct route"; "a direct flight"; "a direct hit".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The direct route to the city center is via the highway.
• The direct flight from New York to Los Angeles takes about 5 hours.
• The missile scored a direct hit on the target.
• The direct distance between the two cities is approximately 200 miles.
• The direct path through the woods is the shortest way to the lake.

Antonyms

• Indirect

Meaning ⁴

Having no intervening persons, agents, conditions; "in direct sunlight"; "in direct contact with the voters"; "direct exposure to the disease"; "a direct link"; "the direct cause of the accident"; "direct vote".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The surgery requires direct contact with the patient's vital organs to be successful.
• She experienced direct exposure to the chemical when the container ruptured.
• The voters made their voices heard through a direct vote in the local election.
• Direct sunlight streamed through the skylight and illuminated the room.
• The earthquake was the direct cause of the destruction in the city.

Synonyms

• Unmediated

Meaning ⁵

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

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The direct motion of the planet was visible as it moved from west to east across the celestial sphere.
• The Earth's rotation causes the stars to appear to move in a direct path from west to east.
• In direct motion, the planet takes approximately 687 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun.
• The direct motion of the stars is a result of the Earth's rotation on its axis.
• The planet's direct motion is visible in the night sky as it moves in the same direction as the Earth around the Sun.

Antonyms

• Retrograde

Meaning ⁶

Similar in nature or effect or relation to another quantity; "a term is in direct proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other increases (or decreases)".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The direct relationship between the two variables was evident in the data, with one increasing as the other did.
• The direct proportionality of the quantities meant that doubling one would double the other.
• The cost of production is in direct proportion to the number of units manufactured.
• The amount of sunlight an area receives is in direct proportion to its distance from the equator.
• The company's profits are in direct proportion to the number of customers they serve.

Antonyms

• Inverse

Meaning ⁷

Lacking compromising or mitigating elements; exact; "the direct opposite".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Meaning ⁸

In a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child; "lineal ancestors"; "lineal heirs"; "a direct descendant of the king"; "direct heredity".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The monarch's direct descendants have ruled the country for centuries.
• She is a direct heir to the throne and will inherit the crown upon her father's death.
• The family's direct lineage can be traced back to the 15th century.
• He is a direct descendant of the famous explorer and has written a book about his ancestor's voyages.
• The estate will pass to her direct heirs, her children, according to the will.

Synonyms

• Lineal

Meaning ⁹

Straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• She gave a direct answer to the journalist's question about the scandal.
• He has a very direct management style, telling it like it is without beating around the bush.
• The politician was accused of using indirect and deceptive language in his speeches instead of a more direct approach.
• She found the writer's style too obscure and lacking the directness that her favorite authors had.
• His proposal outlined a direct solution to the traffic problem by widening the existing road instead of diverting the flow of cars to new side roads.

Antonyms

• Indirect

Related Words

• Directness (noun)

Meaning ¹⁰

Being an immediate result or consequence; "a direct result of the accident".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The death of the pilot was a direct result of the crash.
• Her depression was a direct consequence of losing her job.
• The storm damage to the house was a direct result of the strong winds.
• The direct effect of the new policy was a significant increase in costs.
• The company's bankruptcy was a direct result of poor financial management.

Related Words

• Directness (noun)