direction

noun di·rec·tion \ də-ˈrek-shən , dī- \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: direction in a Sentence

Definition of direction

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 1

6 a : a channel or direct course of thought or action

deciding which direction to take as a writer

b : tendency, trend

c : a guiding, governing, or motivating purpose

His life lacked direction.

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 ¹passage 6b) or movement (see movement 4c)

—

directionless

play \-ləs\ adjective

—

directionlessness

noun

See direction defined for English-language learners

See direction defined for kids

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 of direction from the Web

The results so far had not been overwhelming in any direction.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres find they can't turn all blue eyes brown, but ...," 14 July 2018
Subscribe to get warnings for imminent dangers, preventative instructions, evacuation directions, urgent safety alerts, access to essential resources, critical transit and utility outages, etc.

— mary lou cruz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Davie area events July 18-28," 14 July 2018
Runners can connect paved and unpaved segments, taking in wildlife and water in any direction.

— martin fritz huber, Outside Online, "The 9 Most Scenic Urban Running Trails," 9 July 2018
Melonas said the public should be aware that trains can move on any track, on any line, in any direction.

— jim brunner, The Seattle Times, "Man walking on tracks killed by freight train in Shoreline," 24 June 2018
For high-volume intersections, a scramble crosswalk, which stops all vehicles at the same time and allows pedestrians to cross in any direction, is another smart way to separate the movement of cars and people.

— alissa walker, Curbed, "Why the ‘distracted pedestrian’ is a myth," 21 June 2018
Other views go in almost every direction — Corktown, Most Holy Trinity church, the Ambassador Bridge the MGM Grand and Motor City casinos.

— judy rose, Detroit Free Press, "Former Corktown bachelor pad is now a loft fit for the whole family," 14 July 2018
Anyone who thought Incubus’ new direction would hurt the band doesn’t know Incubus.

— piet levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Incubus crushes sweltering, sold-out show at Milwaukee's Eagles Ballroom," 14 July 2018
The entire creative direction was inspired by Alfonso Cuarón’s vivid 1998 film adaptation of Great Expectations.

— alexandra macon, Vogue, "Inside a Greenery-Filled Hawaiian Wedding—Where the Bridesmaids Wore Power Suits," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'direction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of direction

see ¹direct

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

direction Synonyms

Synonyms

administration, care, charge, conduct, control, governance, government, guidance, handling, intendance, management, operation, oversight, presidency, regulation, running, stewardship, superintendence, superintendency, supervision;

Related Words

generalship, leadership, rulership;

agency;

aegis (also egis), custody, guardianship, keeping, lap, protection, safekeeping, trust, tutelage, ward;

engineering, logistics, machination, manipulation;

coadministration, codirection, comanagement;

DIRECTION Defined for English Language Learners

direction

noun

Definition of direction for English Language Learners

: the course or path on which something is moving or pointing
directions : a statement that tells a person what to do and how to do it : an order or instruction
: instructions that tell you how to go to a place