direction

1 a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned we were given very specific directions for the first part of the exam Synonyms behest, charge, commandment, decree, dictate, command, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, wordRelated Words demand, requirement; mandate; countermand, counterorder; law, precept, prescript, prescription, rule; ordinance, regulation, statuteNear Antonyms appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging; proposal, recommendation, suggestion

2 the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something working under the close direction of the engineering supervisor Synonyms administration, care, charge, control, conduct, governance, government, guidance, handling, intendance, management, operation, oversight, presidency, regulation, running, stewardship, superintendence, superintendency, supervisionRelated Words generalship, leadership, rulership; agency; aegis (also egis), custody, guardianship, keeping, lap, protection, safekeeping, trust, tutelage, ward; engineering, logistics, machination, manipulation; coadministration, codirection, comanagement

3 a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a life that seemed to lack any direction other than the mindless pursuit of empty pleasures Synonyms cynosure, compass, focus, lodestar (also loadstar), polestarRelated Words benchmark, criterion, grade, mark, measure, par, standard, touchstone, yardstick; aim, ambition, aspiration, dream, goal, intention, object, objective, purpose, target

4 a prevailing or general movement or inclination some older people worry about the overall direction that political discourse has taken lately Synonyms current, trend, drift, leaning, run, tendency, tide, windRelated Words curve, downside, shift, swing, turn, turnabout, upside; custom, habit, propensity, tenor, way; countercurrent, countertrend; undercurrent, undertow