indirectly

[in-duh-rekt-lee, -dahy-]

adverb

1. in a roundabout way; not by the shortest or straightest path.

   Since I had time to spare I took a bus that went a bit indirectly to my destination, and saw places on the way that I never knew existed.

2. by a connection that is not immediate.

   We all pay into the federal tax system indirectly when we purchase goods from companies that pay taxes.

3. in a way that is veiled or not straightforward; obliquely.

   I use poetic language to speak indirectly about those things that seem to slip from our grasp as soon as we name them.

4. deviously or covertly.

   The ad comes from a group indirectly funded by the cult and calling itself by another name.

5. Grammar.,  as indirect discourse; not as an actual quotation.

   If I’m reporting the person’s speech indirectly, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he,” or “they.”

Other Word Forms

• semi-indirectly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indirectly¹

indirect ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

And those who didn’t have benefited indirectly from its extravagance.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He was surrounded by people who cared about him, all unaware that he was displaying classic warning signs of an imminent crisis: giving away valuables, a sudden lift in spirits, indirectly saying goodbye.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

James indirectly said that leading up to his season debut on Tuesday and he indirectly said that again after.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

By protecting thepanda—and, by necessary extension, its habitat—conservationists are also indirectly protecting the many other species that share the panda’s ecosystem, that are under its “umbrella.”

Read more on Literature

Some in government have also levelled blame at the prime minister's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, but sources have told the BBC that he was not involved "directly or indirectly".

Read more on BBC