directly

[ dih-rekt-lee, dahy- ]

adverb

1. in a direct line, way, or manner; straight:

   The path leads directly to the lake.

2. at once; without delay; immediately:

   Do that directly.

3. shortly; soon:

   They will be here directly.

4. exactly; precisely:

   directly opposite the store.

5. without intervening space; next in order:

   The truck was parked directly behind my car.

6. openly or frankly; candidly:

   He didn't hesitate to speak directly about his debts.

   Synonyms: freely

7. Mathematics. in direct proportion.

conjunction

1. as soon as:

   Directly he arrived, he mentioned the subject.

directly

/ dɪˈrɛktlɪ; daɪ- /

adverb

1. in a direct manner
2. at once; without delay
3. foll bybefore or after immediately; just

conjunction

1. subordinating as soon as

   we left directly the money arrived

Word History and Origins

Origin of directly¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, directly is from the Middle English word directli. See direct, -ly

Synonym Study

See immediately.

Example Sentences

Out of 225 seats in the parliament, 196 MPs will be directly elected.

From BBC

While he did not weigh-in on the race directly, there had been a concerted effort from the president-elect’s most vocal allies as well as favourable ‘Maga’ media outlets to get hard-line Trump loyalist Rick Scott elected.

From BBC

Other nominees such as his proposed ambassador to the UN, Elise Stefanik, have directly accused China of election interference.

From BBC

The former president even acknowledged that he had never directly apologized to Lewinsky.

From Salon

The Johnson Amendment — named after sponsor Lyndon B. Johnson, who was a Democratic senator from Texas at the time — states that all nonprofit organizations are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective public office,” according to the Internal Revenue Service.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• immediately
• instantaneously
• instantly
• promptly
• quickly
• shortly