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n. 1. The management, supervision, or guidance of a group or operation: The manager's direction of the sales campaign has been highly effective. 2. The art or action of directing a musical, theatrical, or cinematic production. 3. a. An authoritative order or command: The supervisor shouted directions to employees in the warehouse. b. Music A word or phrase in a score indicating how a passage is to be played or sung. c. directions Instructions in how to do something or reach a destination: read the directions before assembling the grill; asked for directions in how to get to the lake. 4. a. The course along which a person or thing is moving or must move to reach a destination: The boat left the bay and sailed in a northerly direction. b. The point toward which a person or thing faces or is oriented: The twins stood back to back, looking in opposite directions. 5. A course or line of development; a tendency toward a particular end or goal: charting a new direction for the company. [Middle English, arrangement, from Latin dīrēctiō, dīrēctiōn-, from dīrēctus, past participle of dīrigere, to direct; see DIRECT.] di·rection·less adj. |
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