Direct object

The direct object is a grammatical relation borne by the most patient-like argument (the P-argument) of an active transitive clause.

Comments
The direct object originally contrasted only with the indirect object, a term that is generally used for a recipient-like argument of a ditransitive clause.

However, since Dryer (1986) the term has also often been contrasted with primary object.

Origin
The adjective direct apparently originally referred to the fact that the direct object in French is not coded by a preposition, in contrast to the indirect object, which requires the preposition à.

Reference
Dryer, Matthew S. 1986. Primary objects, secondary objects, and antidative.

Other languages
German direktes Objekt Russian прямое дополнение