directly

[ dih-rekt-lee, dahy- ]
See synonyms for directly on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. shortly; soon: They will be here directly.

  2. exactly; precisely: directly opposite the store.

  3. without intervening space; next in order: The truck was parked directly behind my car.

  4. openly or frankly; candidly: He didn't hesitate to speak directly about his debts.

  5. Mathematics. in direct proportion.

conjunction
  1. as soon as: Directly he arrived, he mentioned the subject.

Origin of directly

1
First recorded in 1350–1400, directly is from the Middle English word directli. See direct, -ly

synonym study For directly

2. See immediately.

Other words for directly

6 straightforwardly, freely, plainly, unreservedly
See synonyms for directly on Thesaurus.com

Words Nearby directly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use directly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for directly

directly

/ (dɪˈrɛktlɪ, daɪ-) /


adverb
  1. in a direct manner

  2. at once; without delay

  1. (foll by before or after) immediately; just

conjunction
  1. (subordinating) as soon as: we left directly the money arrived

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012