All 18 Uses

direct
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult
(Auto-generated)

The funeral director had let me see them.†
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standard suffix: The suffix "-or" often converts a verb to a noun that means "a person who." This is the pattern you see in words like actor, editor, and visitor.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and spoke directly to Claire, as if she were my age instead of eleven.†

directly = personally
Now, with him directly in front of my cell door, I could see that he was younger than I would have expected, with hair that seemed decidedly un-priestlike and eyes as soft as gray flannel.†
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directly = close
The victim also has the chance to receive answers to any lingering questions about the crime, and to be directly involved in trying to develop a plan for the offender to pay back a debt if possible—emotional or monetary.†

directly = personally
I had been told by the funeral director, after the murders, to think about it.†

standard suffix: The suffix "-or" often converts a verb to a noun that means "a person who." This is the pattern you see in words like actor, editor, and visitor.
The funeral director told me that it might be nice to have a table of mementos that meant something to Elizabeth—stuffed animals or family vacation photos, chocolate chip cookies.†
I let the funeral director put makeup on her face for the first time.†
It was not an open-casket funeral; but before we left for the graveside service, the funeral director lifted the cover to make final adjustments.†
I hope you're pleased, the funeral director had said.†
He took the noose and readjusted it around the smaller man's neck, but this time he tightened the knot directly below the left ear.†

directly = close, or in a straight line
He looked directly at me.†

directly = straight (exactly where stated; used for emphasis)
They never spoke to inmates directly about their lives, and that actually was fine.†
Amicus was Latin for friend of the court; when you had a position on a particular case but weren't directly a party involved in it, the court would let you legally spell out your feelings if it might be beneficial to the decision-making process.†
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Shay walked directly up to the door of the cell and started to grin.†
He was talking about the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which said that witnesses had to be disclosed thirty days before a trial, unless otherwise directed by the court.†
Or pick up your red phone and dial God directly.†
Those red phones are direct hookups to the governor's office and the attorney general—the commissioner will call to make sure there's been no stay of execution, no last minute reprieve.†

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Grouped by 3 Meanings

Uses with a meaning too rare to warrant foucs:

"I might as well start with where Judge Haig left off," I said, beginning the direct examination.†
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Definitions:

(1) (direct as in: directly above; or buy direct)
without anything in between -- whether in time, space, or involvement
(2) (direct as in: gave a direct answer)
straightforward -- often clear, open, or blunt in speech or behavior
(3) (direct as in: direct a question; or direct a film)
to guide, aim, or manage -- such as actions, attention, speech, a project or company
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
Direct can take on many specialized meanings not included in this dictionary.
As an adjective or adverb, direct usually means there is a clear or straight connection with nothing in the way. It can also mean easy to understand, without confusion. For example:
- Direct action – taking quick and clear steps to make something happen
- Direct descendant – someone who comes straight from an ancestor, like a grandchild
- Direct line (in genealogy) – a family connection that goes straight from one generation to the next
- Direct deposit – money that is sent straight into a bank account
- Direct object – in a sentence, the person or thing that receives the action of the verb
- Direct kick – in sports, a kick where the ball can go straight into the goal without touching another player
- Direct cost – a cost that comes straight from making a product or providing a service
- Direct investment – putting money directly into a company or project
- Direct elections – when people vote for leaders without going through an extra step
- Direct current (DC) – a type of electric flow that moves in only one direction
As a verb, most all of the senses of direct involve giving orders or aiming.

direct in Change of Heart, by Picoult (Auto-generated)

direct
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult
(Auto-generated)