indirect object

American  

noun

indirect objects plural

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.

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indirect object British  

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

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indirect object Cultural  

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.”

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Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• indirect objects
  plural

Etymology

Origin of indirect object

First recorded in 1875–80

Compare meaning

How does indirect-object compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• direct object vs. indirect object

Example Sentences

Its word order goes: subject, verb, direct object, indirect object.

From Time Magazine Archive

The direct, not the indirect object of the wish, is what he wants.

From The Religious Sentiment Its Source and Aim: A Contribution to the Science and Philosophy of Religion by Brinton, Daniel Garrison

When the indirect object precedes the direct, no preposition is expressed or understood.

From Higher Lessons in English A work on English grammar and composition by Kellogg, Brainerd

The verb is out of all relation to its indirect object.

From What Is and What Might Be A Study of Education in General and Elementary Education in Particular by Holmes, Edmond

But the move was perfectly successful in its real and indirect object.

From George Washington, Volume I by Lodge, Henry Cabot