Verb

(en verb)

To manage, control, steer.

to direct the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army

To aim (something) at (something else).

They directed their fire towards the men on the wall.

He directed his question to the room in general.

To point out or show to (somebody) the right course or way; to guide, as by pointing out the way.

He directed me to the left-hand road.

* Lubbock

the next points to which I will direct your attention

To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order.

She directed them to leave immediately.

* Shakespeare

I'll first direct my men what they shall do.

(dated) To put a direction or address upon; to mark with the name and residence of the person to whom anything is sent.

to direct a letter

Verb

(en-verb)

To not allow.

I wanted to go to the party, but I was denied .

* 1847 , Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey Chapter XVI

'Do! pray do! I shall be the most miserable of men if you don't. You cannot be so cruel as to deny me a favour so easily granted and yet so highly prized!' pleaded he as ardently as if his life depended on it.

To assert that something is not true.

I deny that I was at the party.

Everyone knows he committed the crime, but he still denies it.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=November 1 , author=James Robinson and Lisa O'Carroll , title=Phone hacking: NoW warned about 'culture of illegal information access' , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=But Myler and Crone told the committee in September that they had made Murdoch aware at the 10 June 2008 meeting that hacking was not restricted to a single journalist. They claimed this was the reason Murdoch agreed to settle the Taylor's case. James Murdoch subsequently wrote to the committee to deny this. }}

To disallow

to refuse to give or grant something to someone

My father denied me a good education.

* J. Edwards

To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it.

* {{quote-news

, year=2008 , date=April 12 , author= , title=Mother denied daughter's organs , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=A mother who urgently needs a kidney transplant has branded the system which denied her the organs of her dying daughter as "ridiculous".}}

(sports) To prevent from scoring.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=November 3 , author=Chris Bevan , title=Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Another Karadeniz cross led to Cudicini's first save of the night, with the Spurs keeper making up for a weak punch by brilliantly pushing away Christian Noboa's snap-shot.
Two more top-class stops followed quickly afterwards, first from Natcho's rasping shot which was heading into the top corner, and then to deny Ryazantsev at his near post.}}

To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, etc.; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.

* Bancroft

the falsehood of denying his opinion

* Keble

thou thrice denied , yet thrice beloved

(obsolete) To refuse (to do or accept something).

* Shakespeare

if you deny to dance