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.
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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.
Instead of omniscient narrators, they deployed free indirect speech to reveal characters’ innermost thoughts.
Van Eck is also interested in the indirect beneficiaries of AI growth, citing the example of the nuclear sector that is suddenly popular as demand for electricity generation rises inexorably.
From MarketWatch
“Everybody was telling us, ‘You’ve got to pay more’ ”—meaning direct or indirect payments to favored companies.
Five witnesses gave indirect circumstantial evidence that supported Murley's claim he was not taken seriously.
From BBC
Anduril’s new Long Beach facility will employ about 5,500 workers, with thousands more indirect jobs generated through construction, security, and supporting services, Grimm said.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
