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

Through a trust, he also indirectly controls voting shares that represent nearly 46 million common shares upon conversion.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

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

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

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 • Mar. 25, 2026

The freeze has also resulted in staffing cuts at Mexico’s refugee agency, which was indirectly funded with U.S. money channeled through the United Nations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

During the next four centuries its realm steadily expanded until it ruled directly over much of central Mexico and indirectly, through puppet governments, as far south as Guatemala.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann