Meaning & use
provide direction
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
To give guidance, leadership, or a clear sense of purpose to a group or project.
Grammar: Usually used with a person or organization as the subject: 'The manager provided direction.' It can also be followed by 'to': 'provide direction to the team.'
Patterns
- provide direction to someone
- provide direction for something
- provide clear direction
The new CEO provided direction to a company that had lost its way.
Good teachers provide direction without telling students exactly what to think.
The committee failed to provide clear direction on how the funds should be spent.
Common combinations
- provide clear direction
- The report provides clear direction for future research.
- provide direction to someone
- She provided direction to the junior staff throughout the project.
- provide strategic direction
- The board is responsible for providing strategic direction.
- fail to provide direction
- The government failed to provide direction during the crisis.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: provide direction or give directions?
provide direction vs give directions
This usually means telling someone how to get to a place. 'Provide direction' is about leadership and purpose, not routes.
Practice
The board felt the CEO had failed to ______ during the merger, leaving employees unsure about the company's future.
Choose one answer.
'Provide direction' fits the context of leadership and purpose. 'Provide directions' and 'give directions' suggest telling someone how to reach a place, and 'make direction' is not a natural English phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “provide direction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.