indirectly

American  

[in-duh-rekt-lee, -dahy-] / ˌɪn dəˈrɛkt li, -daɪ- /

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.”

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Other Word Forms

• semi-indirectly adverb

Etymology

Origin of indirectly

indirect ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

It is home to a BMW factory that employs around 12,000 people and indirectly supports tens of thousands of jobs across South Carolina.

From The Wall Street Journal

The combined entity, ConocoPhillips, employed more than 500 direct employees and indirectly several thousand more in the country through its partnerships and planned to pump there for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He has a huge audience, and a lot of people listen to him, both directly and indirectly,” Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the left-leaning New America think tank, observed.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Fed's benchmark interest rate can indirectly affect mortgage rates.

From BBC

Athletes do not receive money directly from colleges for playing on their teams; instead, they get paid indirectly from NIL collectives, donors and sponsorship deals, which the school and team GM can broker.

From MarketWatch