directionality
Sense of heading
Directionality is the quality of having or moving in a specific direction.
In physics, it describes how energy or signals concentrate along a path rather than radiating equally in all directions: The antenna's directionality improved signal reception.
In linguistics and writing systems, directionality refers to whether text reads left-to-right, right-to-left, or vertically.
The term appears in any field where orientation matters—the directionality of causation, of influence, of flow.
Of foremost importance
- northArctic-facing cardinal direction
- southCardinal direction opposite north
- eastSunrise cardinal point
- westCardinal direction toward sunset
axis · bearing · coordinates · latitude · longitude · azimuth · heading · vector
Route for traveling
- arcCurved line segment
- vectorQuantity with direction
- coursePlanned path forward
- orbitCurved celestial path
curve · parabola · ballistic · projectile · tangent · deflection · intercept · approach
Preferred limb dominance
- chiralityMirror-image non-superimposability
- enantiomersMirror-image molecular pairs
- stereoisomersSpatially distinct molecular forms
- asymmetricNot identical on both sides
left-handed · right-handed · polarity · anisotropy · skewness · lopsidedness · imbalance
Controlling direction of movement
- navigationDetermining position and course
- wayfindingNavigating through physical spaces
- pilotingControlling a vehicle's course
- routingPath selection process
pathfinding · signposting · compass · landmark · GPS · triangulation · orienteering · charting
Directed flow of charge
- streamSteady continuous flow
- fluxContinuous change or flow
- upstreamToward a river's origin
- downstreamAlong the current's path
inflow · outflow · circulation · drift · gradient · one-way · reversible · countercurrent
Production of effects
- antecedentSomething that precedes
- consequentFollowing as an effect
- forwardOnward in direction
- backwardToward what's behind
feedforward · feedback · retrograde · prospective · retrospective · temporal · sequential · precedence
Unfair favor toward some
- one-sidednessImbalanced viewpoint or treatment
- skewTwist from straight
- slantOblique angle or bias
- tendencyInclination toward a behavior
predisposition · inclination · leaning · tilt · weighting · favoritism · preferential
cardinal
Of foremost importance
- northArctic-facing cardinal direction
- southCardinal direction opposite north
- eastSunrise cardinal point
west · axis · bearing · coordinates · latitude · longitude · azimuth · heading · vector · orientation
path
Route for traveling
orbit · curve · parabola · ballistic · projectile · tangent · deflection · intercept · approach · descent
handedness
Preferred limb dominance
- chiralityMirror-image non-superimposability
- enantiomersMirror-image molecular pairs
- stereoisomersSpatially distinct molecular forms
asymmetric · left-handed · right-handed · polarity · anisotropy · skewness · lopsidedness · imbalance
steering
Controlling direction of movement
- navigationDetermining position and course
- wayfindingNavigating through physical spaces
- pilotingControlling a vehicle's course
routing · pathfinding · signposting · compass · landmark · GPS · triangulation · orienteering · charting · mapping
current
Directed flow of charge
downstream · inflow · outflow · circulation · drift · gradient · one-way · reversible · countercurrent · backflow
causation
Production of effects
- antecedentSomething that precedes
- consequentFollowing as an effect
- forwardOnward in direction
backward · feedforward · feedback · retrograde · prospective · retrospective · temporal · sequential · precedence · succession
partiality
Unfair favor toward some
- one-sidednessImbalanced viewpoint or treatment
- skewTwist from straight
- slantOblique angle or bias
tendency · predisposition · inclination · leaning · tilt · weighting · favoritism · preferential
- teleologytelos, purpose, end, ends, goal
- evolutionevolution, natural selection, mutation, adaptation, speciation
- reading skillsvocabulary, literacy skills, decoding, grammar, fluency
- handwritingcursive, block letters, penmanship, print letters, legible
- microphonescondenser mic, dynamic mic, lavalier mic, shotgun mic, handheld mic
- left and right symbolismleft hand, right hand, dexter, sinister, sinistral
directionalityrandomness
Lack of predictable pattern
aimlessness · randomization · disorder · chaos · haphazardness
directionalitychaos
Complete disorder and confusion
disorder · entropy · turbulence · unpredictability · haphazardness
directionalityreciprocity
Mutual exchange of actions
mutuality · symmetry · reversibility · bilateral · mutual exchange
direct, direction, directions, directed, directive, indirectly, directness, undirected, directional