indirectly

[ in-duh-rekt-lee, -dahy- ]

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.”

Other Words From

• sem·i-in·di·rect·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indirectly¹

indirect ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

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

The fortification of flour will therefore help boost intake of folic acid across the population, and, indirectly, better protect unborn babies.

From BBC

Amnesty has urged all countries to stop directly and indirectly supplying arms to Sudan’s fighting factions.

From BBC

Washington was already indirectly involved in “Black Panther’s” success, according to its late star, Chadwick Boseman.

From Los Angeles Times

He may have done so indirectly, though, with a Veterans Day-themed Instagram post Monday morning.

From Los Angeles Times