direction
noun
di·rec·tion
də-ˈrek-shən 
dī-
1
: guidance or supervision of action or conduct : management
working under the direction of the doctor
2
archaic
: the address placed on the outside of a letter or package to be delivered : superscription
3
a
: an explicit instruction : order
carefully read the directions
follow directions
b
: assistance in pointing out the proper route
—usually used in plural
asked for directions to the beach
4
: the line or course on which something is moving or is aimed to move or along which something is pointing or facing
came from the opposite direction
walking in the same direction
5
archaic
: directorate sense 1
6
7
a
: the art and technique of supervising the production of a show or performance : the art and technique of directing an orchestra, band, or a show (as for stage or screen)
b
music
: a word, phrase, or sign indicating the appropriate tempo, mood, or intensity of a passage (see passage entry 1 sense 6b) or movement (see movement sense 4c)
directionlessness
noun
Examples of direction in a Sentence
The army attacked from three different directions.
Down the road, he could see a bus coming from the opposite direction.
The wind changed direction and started blowing in our faces.
Carefully read the directions before you begin the test.
Directions appear on the package.
We had to stop to ask for directions to the beach.
Excuse me. Could you please give me directions to the movie theater?
He was put in charge and given overall direction of the program.
Twenty-three employees work under her direction.
Several nurses working under the direction of this doctor have made complaints.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Broncos pointed the other direction.
—
Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2025
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 The 1986 sequel took the franchise in a whole new direction.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The digital story was edited by Sylvie Douglis and Meghan Keane, with art direction by Beck Harlan.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
No leaves on the trees, few birds in the sky; the spacious vistas interdicted in all directions by armed men in black uniforms—police at the perimeter barricades, police on motorcycles, police drifting overhead in helicopters.
—Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for direction
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Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2025
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 The 1986 sequel took the franchise in a whole new direction.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The digital story was edited by Sylvie Douglis and Meghan Keane, with art direction by Beck Harlan.
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
No leaves on the trees, few birds in the sky; the spacious vistas interdicted in all directions by armed men in black uniforms—police at the perimeter barricades, police on motorcycles, police drifting overhead in helicopters.
—Henry Freedland, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for direction
Cite this Entry
“Direction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/direction. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
direction
noun
di·rec·tion
də-ˈrek-shən
dī-
1
: guidance of action or conduct : management
many people working under my direction
direction of a play
2
: an instruction, indication, or order given with authority
follow directions
3
: the line or course along which something moves, lies, or points
headed in a northerly direction
4
: tendency sense 1, trend
a new direction in literature
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