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

“The commission has concerns that the measure may consolidate or indirectly reinforce EDF’s market power,” it said.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Burkina Faso, around four million of the country's 23 million inhabitants depend directly or indirectly on the cotton sector.

From Barron's

Messages are certainly being passed from the US to Iran, but indirectly, via intermediaries like Pakistan that enjoy good relations with both governments.

From BBC

The movies of the 1930s also resonated with audiences by speaking to the harsh times people were living through, either directly or indirectly.

From The Wall Street Journal

It seemed to me that in asking what Chopin was thinking 200 years ago in a particular composition, she was indirectly asking her students what they’re thinking now.

From Los Angeles Times