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

Indirectly, that snub also staved off the ACC’s nightmare scenario.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

"Indirectly, TikTok was the majority of my income because all brands want their stuff to be promoted on the app," Ms Bloomgarden said.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025

Indirectly, sooty mold can damage crops and reduce farmer’s yields, too.

From National Geographic • Aug. 31, 2023

So did Jean Sherrard and I. Indirectly, the needs and wants of us and our collective forebears are why this section of the Snoqualmie River hasn’t seen a paddle-driven steamboat in well over a century.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

Indirectly and unintentionally Hercules was the cause of his dying.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton