indirectly

American  

[in-duh-rekt-lee, -dahy-] / ˌɪn dəˈrɛkt li, -daɪ- /

adverb

1. in a roundabout way; not by the shortest or straightest path.

   Since I had time to spare I took a bus that went a bit indirectly to my destination, and saw places on the way that I never knew existed.

2. by a connection that is not immediate.

   We all pay into the federal tax system indirectly when we purchase goods from companies that pay taxes.

3. in a way that is veiled or not straightforward; obliquely.

   I use poetic language to speak indirectly about those things that seem to slip from our grasp as soon as we name them.

4. deviously or covertly.

   The ad comes from a group indirectly funded by the cult and calling itself by another name.

5. Grammar. as indirect discourse; not as an actual quotation.

   If I’m reporting the person’s speech indirectly, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he,” or “they.”

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Other Word Forms

• semi-indirectly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of indirectly

indirect ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

indirectly

European regulators said in a statement that for a period of 10 years, Paramount should also not directly or indirectly "enter into any agreement or understanding with Universal to jointly co-distribute films in the EEA".

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Paramount must not “directly or indirectly ... enter into any agreement or understanding with Universal to jointly co-distribute films” in the European countries for 10 years, the commission said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Most of the losses were caused, directly or indirectly, by presidential removal.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

That is why friendship is usually produced indirectly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

To allude is to mention indirectly or to hint at—to speak of something in a covert or roundabout way.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner