Direction I Clear General Sense Change Step It’s

• tom went off in the direction of home.
• she glanced in his direction.
• the aircraft was flying in a northerly direction.
• the road was blocked in both directions.

direction

1. the general position a person or thing moves or points towards
• Tom went off in the direction of home.
• She glanced in his direction.
• The aircraft was flying in a northerly direction.
• The road was blocked in both directions.
• They hit a truck coming in the opposite direction.
• Has the wind changed direction?
• When the police arrived, the crowd scattered in all directions.
• I lost all sense of direction (= I didn't know which way to go).
2. the general way in which a person or thing develops
• The exhibition provides evidence of several new directions in her work.
• I am very unhappy with the direction the club is taking.
• It's only a small improvement, but at least it's a step in the right direction.
3. the general position a person or thing comes or develops from
• Support came from an unexpected direction.
• Let us approach the subject from a different direction.
4. a purpose; an aim
• We are looking for somebody with a clear sense of direction.
• Once again her life felt lacking in direction.
5. instructions about how to do something, where to go, etc.
• Let's stop and ask for directions.
• Simple directions for assembling the model are printed on the box.
6. the art of managing or guiding somebody/something
• All work was produced by the students under the direction of John Williams.
• She was entrusted with the direction of the project.
7. the instructions given by somebody directing a film/movie
• There is some clever direction and the film is very well shot.
8. to have different aims that cannot be achieved together without causing problems

Extra Examples

• A scanner deflects the laser beam in horizontal and vertical directions.
• All such research is under government direction.
• America has not moved in the expected direction.
• Are there any directions for putting up the tent?
• At least things are moving in the right direction now.
• Can you give me directions for getting to John’s?
• Can you give me directions to the post office?
• Dan followed the direction the sign had pointed.
• Do not let the discussion fragment into a desultory conversation with no clear direction.
• Each card has step-by-step directions on one side.
• Each chapter includes easy-to-follow directions for a variety of activities.
• First determine the direction of your expected business growth.
• Follow label directions for best results.
• He started to run in a random direction.
• He was hit by a lorry coming in the opposite direction.
• His understanding of our business will further strengthen our strategic direction.
• I can’t come with you, but I can point you in the general direction.
• I didn’t see the accident because I was facing in the opposite direction.
• I don’t have much sense of direction.
• I felt the company was headed in a positive direction.
• I fired in the general direction of the officer’s head, and missed.
• I measured the distance and compass direction between successive positions.
• I prefer to be facing the direction of travel.
• I was being pushed in one direction.
• In effective classrooms the teacher provided clear direction.
• Internet sites that offer everything from driving directions to subway maps
• Isabel’s directions are always very precise.
• It is hard to know which direction the Church will take.
• It’s ever so easy to cook. You just follow the directions on the packet.
• It’s time to change direction and find a new job.
• Just follow the directions on the box.
• Just follow the online directions to take the quiz.
• Let’s approach the subject from a different direction.
• No clear direction in policy can be identified.
• People came running from all directions.
• People passed by without a glance in her direction.
• Shakespeare’s famous stage direction, ‘Exit, pursued by a bear.’
• She followed the direction of his gaze.
• She glanced in his direction.
• She shoved Sarah in the general forward direction.
• She stalked away, in no particular direction.
• She’s a young woman, determining the direction of her life.
• Suddenly, the wind switched directions.
• The adults gazed in the direction indicated.
• The blast sent debris flying in all directions.
• The book signals a shift in direction from her earlier novels.
• The company needed to shift direction if it was going to survive.
• The convoy is moving in the direction of the capital.
• The current flows in a south-easterly direction.
• The first step in this direction will be a discussion with the unions.
• The market is moving primarily in one direction.
• The monarch looks to the archbishop for spiritual direction.
• The new law is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough.
• The new workers need direction from a supervisor.
• The party must take a new direction if it is to survive.
• The proposals aim to set a new direction for local government.
• The recommendations indicate possible directions for further studies.
• The report gives a brief nod in the direction of green issues before coming down firmly on the side of the market.
• The ride in the reverse direction is a mere $4.
• The runway was constructed in a north-south direction.
• The story does not go in any particular direction.
• The teacher gives specific directions and corrects your pose.
• The wind had changed direction.
• There are different considerations, often pulling in different directions.
• There was shriek of laughter from the direction of Sarah’s room.
• These figures may have to be revised in an upward direction.
• These incentives should move the industry in the desired direction.
• They were both going in the same direction.
• They work under the direction of a senior manager.
• This points to a promising new direction for cancer research.
• This was a major change of direction for Britain’s foreign policy.
• Turn the dial in a clockwise direction.
• Unfortunately, we were going in the wrong direction.
• We are looking for somebody with a clear sense of direction.
• We are pulled in opposing directions by our emotions.
• We both walked off in separate directions.
• We got directions to the hall from a man in the town.
• We have to nudge politicians in the right direction.
• What happens if you reverse the direction of the current?
• When sailing, keep a constant check on changes in wind direction.
• Which direction do we have to take?
• While he was studying in Paris, his thinking suddenly veered off in a new direction.
• a house oriented exactly to the cardinal directions
• a step to change your life in a positive direction
• signs providing directions to the new concert hall.
• the critical decisions that shape the direction of our lives
• the debate about the future direction of socialism
• the predicted direction of climate change in the near term
• the strategic direction of the company
• All the work was produced by the students under the direction of John Williams.
• Do you think this represents a radical change of direction for the president?
• He feels that his music is going in the same direction as that of his American counterparts.
• He ran off in the direction of the river.
• I had lost all sense of direction.
• I realized we were travelling in the wrong direction.
• It seems that things are at last moving in the right direction.
• It’s only a small improvement but at least it’s a step in the right direction.
• It’s time for me to change direction and try to find a new job.
• The benefits of new technology seem to be all in one direction.
• The car was going in the other direction.
• The case was beginning to take a new direction.
• The exhibition provides evidence of several new directions in her work.
• The teacher provided clear direction, but allowed children some autonomy.
• There seems to be no clear direction in policy.
• There was a lack of central direction in the service.
• They are debating the future direction of the party.
• When the police arrived, the crowd scattered in all directions.

Word Origin

• late Middle English (in sense (2)): from Latin directio(n-), from the verb dirigere, from di- ‘distinctly’ or de- ‘down’ + regere ‘put straight’.