directly

American  

[dih-rekt-lee, dahy-] / dɪˈrɛkt li, daɪ- /

adverb

1. in a direct line, way, or manner; straight.

   The path leads directly to the lake.

2. at once; without delay; immediately.

   Do that directly.

3. shortly; soon.

   They will be here directly.

4. exactly; precisely.

   directly opposite the store.

5. without intervening space; next in order.

   The truck was parked directly behind my car.

6. openly or frankly; candidly.

   He didn't hesitate to speak directly about his debts.

   Synonyms:

   freely

7. Mathematics. in direct proportion.

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conjunction

1. as soon as.

   Directly he arrived, he mentioned the subject.

directly British  

/ dɪˈrɛktlɪ, daɪ- /

adverb

1. in a direct manner

2. at once; without delay

3. immediately; just

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conjunction

1. (subordinating) as soon as

   we left directly the money arrived

Related Words

See immediately.

Etymology

Origin of directly

First recorded in 1350–1400, directly is from the Middle English word directli. See direct, -ly

Example Sentences

They find value in stocks where capability improvements flow directly into API, or application programming interface, monetization.

From MarketWatch

Making this Pure Genius Protein drink is not directly related to your expertise.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dr Sauvage said the most important approach was to speak directly to families and "dispel any concerns they have about side effects or problems with the vaccine, which is safe".

From BBC

Dorset Police did not directly address the suggestion that officers had framed Benguit, but said its investigation was "thorough, detailed and very complex".

From BBC

Karki will step down after the vote for the 275‑seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, with 165 members elected directly and 110 through party lists.

From Barron's

Related Words

• immediately
• instantaneously
• instantly
• promptly
• quickly
• shortly