indirect object

noun

1. a word or group of words representing the person or thing with reference to which the action of a verb is performed, in English generally coming between the verb and the direct object and paraphrasable as the object of a preposition, usually to or for, following the direct object, as the boy in He gave the boy a book.

indirect object

noun

1. grammar a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase indicating the recipient or beneficiary of the action of a verb and its direct object, as John in the sentence I bought John a newspaper Compare direct object

indirect object

1. A noun, pronoun, or group of words naming something indirectly affected by the action of a verb: “She showed me some carpet samples”; “The agent handed the Prentice family their tickets.”

Indirect objects can often take or suggest the preposition to. For example, “He showed (to) me the book.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of indirect object¹

First recorded in 1875–80