adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˌbaɪ.dɪˈɹɛk.ʃə.nəl
-daɪ-/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B IH1 D ER0 EH1 K SH AH0 N AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Moving in two directions (usually opposite).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Such an antenna or microphone
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
reactive or functioning or allowing movement in two usually opposite directions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unidirectional
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi-bor. English bi- English direction English -al English directional English bidirectional From bi- + directional.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
雙向 /双向
(shuāngxiàng)
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Czech:
dvousměrný
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Danish:
bidirektional
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Danish:
toretnings-
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Dutch:
bidirectioneel
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Dutch:
tweerichtings-
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Finnish:
kaksisuuntainen
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
French:
bidirectionnel
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
German:
bidirektional
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Icelandic:
tvíbeind
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Italian:
bidezionale
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Japanese:
双方向の
(sōhōkō no)
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Norwegian:
bidireksjonal
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Norwegian:
toretnings-
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Polish:
dwukierunkowy
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Portuguese:
bidirecional
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Russian:
двунапра́вленный
(dvunaprávlennyj)
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Russian:
двухсторо́нний
(dvuxstorónnij)
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Spanish:
bidireccional
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Swedish:
bidirektionell
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Swedish:
dubbelriktad
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Swedish:
tvåvägs-
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Welsh:
dwyffordd
— moving in two directions (usually opposite)
Bulgarian:
двупосо́чен
(dvuposóčen)
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Czech:
dvousměrný
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Danish:
bidirektional
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Danish:
toretnings-
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Dutch:
bidirectioneel
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Dutch:
tweerichtings-
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Finnish:
kaksisuuntainen
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
French:
bidirectionnel
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
German:
bidirektional
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Greek:
αμφίδρομος
(amfídromos)
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Hungarian:
kétirányú
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Icelandic:
tvíbeind
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Italian:
bidezionale
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Norwegian:
bidireksjonal
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Norwegian:
toretnings-
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Polish:
dwukierunkowy
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Portuguese:
bidirecional
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Russian:
двунапра́вленный
(dvunaprávlennyj)
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Spanish:
bidireccional
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Swedish:
bidirektionell
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Swedish:
dubbelriktad
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Swedish:
tvåvägs-
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
Welsh:
dwyffordd
— operating or functioning in two directions (usually opposite)
