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

Therapists of color face distinct dynamics working with white clients directly on race.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2022

That means lower volume, but better margins, as the company can charge clients directly and maintain control over what it collects.

From The Guardian • Aug. 17, 2019

The judge said she wants to speak to those clients directly, even though they live out of state, to make sure they understand the implications of using lawyers with a potential conflict of interest.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2019

“Working with clients directly and looking at their skin to determine the bigger health picture clicked for me,” says Holey, who since 2014 has divided her time between San Francisco and NYC.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 2, 2016

They let you customize virtually everything about the routers that support them from radio strength to latency, and even run Tor clients directly on the hardware for added privacy.

From The Verge • May 17, 2016