Plain English Meaning
A way of describing which way something is pointing or moving by giving it a number from 0 to 360, going around like a clock face starting from north.
Full Definition
The system used in aviation to express direction as a numerical value in degrees on a 360-degree circle, measured clockwise from a north reference. North is 000°, east is 090°, south is 180°, and west is 270°. Direction may be referenced to true north (the geographic pole) or magnetic north (the pole the compass points to), and the chosen reference must always be specified.
Context Anchor
Seen in navigation, chart reading, compass use, and route planning when a pilot needs to describe or follow a direction precisely.
Derivation
Direction comes from a Latin word meaning “to guide in a straight line.” That helps here because aviation direction is about the exact line something points or travels along, not just a general idea of where something is.