direction

noun

di·rec·tion də-ˈrek-shən

dī-

Synonyms of direction next

: guidance or supervision of action or conduct : management

working under the direction of the doctor

archaic : the address placed on the outside of a letter or package to be delivered : superscription

: an explicit instruction : order

carefully read the directions

follow directions

: assistance in pointing out the proper route

—usually used in plural

asked for directions to the beach

: 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

archaic : directorate sense 1

: a channel or direct course of thought or action

deciding which direction to take as a writer

: tendency, trend

: a guiding, governing, or motivating purpose

His life lacked direction.

: 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)

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)

directionless

də-ˈrek-shən-ləs

adjective

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Just one week earlier, Navy officials announced the same ship shot down another drone originating in Yemen that was heading in the direction of the ship. —

Matthew Seyler, ABC News, 23 Nov. 2023 After that, city officials mandated anemometers — instruments that measure wind speed and direction — along the route. —

Winnie Hu Emma Rose Milligan, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023 However, it is known that the latest iteration will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor. —

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023 What had been a UCLA runaway was suddenly tilting heavily in the other direction as Marquette took a 50-45 lead before Bruins freshman guard Ilane Fibleuil buried a three-pointer. —

Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023 Recent efforts by governments in the U.K. and the U.S. to better regulate new technologies such as artificial intelligence are moving in the right direction. —

Bysoumitra Dutta, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023 Instead of Youngkin’s proposal for a 15-week ban on most abortions, Democrats will swing in the opposite direction and push for a state constitutional amendment to guarantee access to the procedure. —

Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 And overall, land-use decisions are heading in the wrong direction. —

Matt Simon, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023 With volumes trending in the wrong direction, Musk himself understandably had little appetite and avoided the issue entirely. —

Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'direction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.