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
3a : an explicit instruction : order carefully read the directions follow directions
b : assistance in pointing out the proper route
—usually used in pluralasked 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
6a : a channel or direct course of thought or action
deciding which direction to take as a writer
c : a guiding, governing, or motivating purpose
His life lacked direction.
7a : 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)
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Time Traveler for direction
The first known use of direction was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century