indirect
Americanadjective
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not in a direct course or path; deviating from a straight line; roundabout.
an indirect course in sailing.
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coming or resulting otherwise than directly or immediately, as effects or consequences.
an indirect advantage.
- Synonyms:
- secondary, unintentional, incidental
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not direct in action or procedure.
His methods are indirect but not dishonest.
-
not straightforward; devious; deceitful.
He is known as a shady, indirect fellow.
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not direct in bearing, application, force, etc..
indirect evidence.
-
Grammar. of, relating to, or characteristic of indirect discourse.
an indirect quote.
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not descending in a direct line of succession, as a title or inheritance.
adjective
-
deviating from a direct course or line; roundabout; circuitous
-
not coming as a direct effect or consequence; secondary
indirect benefits
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not straightforward, open, or fair; devious or evasive
an indirect insult
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(of a title or an inheritance) not inherited in an unbroken line of succession from father to son
Other Word Forms
- indirectly adverb
- indirectness noun
- semi-indirect adjective
- semi-indirectness noun
Etymology
Origin of indirect
First recorded in 1350–1400; a Middle English word from the Medieval Latin word indīrēctus; in- 3, direct
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Industrials look like an indirect AI play, since they act as suppliers to utility companies and others helping build out AI infrastructure.
She is a brilliant wordsmith, who had a transformative effect in literature by shifting the focus inward using indirect discourse to combine a character’s inner thoughts with the narrator’s voice.
From Los Angeles Times
A familiar example of this concept, known as indirect genetic effects, occurs when a mother's genes influence her offspring's growth or immune system through the environment she provides.
From Science Daily
"These practices compromised the ability of agencies to purchase Ryanair flights and combine them with flights from other airlines and/or additional travel services, thereby reducing direct and indirect competition between agencies."
From Barron's
The direct and indirect emissions of imported goods are difficult to estimate even in countries with strong, transparent reporting frameworks—never mind in places like China, where verification is nearly impossible.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
