directness
/dəˈektnəs/dur-EKT-nuhs
/dɚˈɛktnəs/dur-EKT-nuhs
Meaningbeing direct
Common meaning: plain, straightforward manner
- diapart
- rectstraight; rightLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1536 · scan
- nessnoun ending: the state of being
‘apart’ + ‘straight’ → directness
Journey through time
- Latinrēctus‘straight’
- Middle Englishdirectesource
- Englishdirect‘straight’
- Englishformed in English from directdirectness‘plain, straightforward manner’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from direct + -ness.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), DIRECT, p.168 · scan
Roots
- rēctus Latin “straight; right”
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