directly

1 of 2

adverb

di·​rect·​ly də-ˈrek(t)-lē 

dī-

in sense 2 especially də-ˈrek-lē

or ˈdrek-lē

1

a

: in a direct manner

directly relevant

the road runs directly east and west

b

: in immediate physical contact

c

: in the manner of direct variation

2

a

: without delay : immediately

the second game followed directly after the first

b

: in a little while : shortly

we'll be leaving directly

directly

2 of 2

conjunction

di·​rect·​ly də-ˈrek(t)-lē 

dī-;

ˈdrek-lē

chiefly British

: immediately after : as soon as

Directly I received it I rang up the shipping company …

—F. W. Crofts

Synonyms of directly

Adverb

• straight
• right

Examples of directly in a Sentence

Adverb

He refused to answer the question directly.

She said that she wanted to speak to you directly.

The package will be sent directly to your home.

The two accidents are directly related.

Thousands of people were directly affected by the disaster.

Antonyms are words that are directly opposite in meaning.

We parked directly behind the store.

He sat directly across from me at the dinner table.

Conjunction

I came directly I received your message.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Damage to refineries and disrupted shipping from the wars in Iran and Ukraine have pushed diesel to record highs in many markets, feeding directly into trucking, farming, and freight costs. — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026

One deputy was caught directly under branches and the tree's trunk, but was spared in part by the SUV obstructing the fall. — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026

For capable enemy forces like China, this would mean the B-52 would need supporting assets to either deflect attention away from them or directly protect them. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026

Van Zuilen observed many of the objects directly from his balcony from the town of Heiloo in the Netherlands, while others required van Zuilen to take his telescopes further afield to avoid capturing treetops and farm buildings in his field of view. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Conjunction

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing directly

• directly proportional

Rhymes for directly

• correctly
• circumspectly
• incorrectly
• indirectly

Kids Definition

directly

adverb

di·​rect·​ly

də-ˈrek-(t)lē, 

dī-

in sense 2 also ˈdrek-lē

1

a

: in a direct manner

she spoke directly

b

: most closely located

the person directly to my left

2

: without delay : immediately

go directly home

3

: in the manner of direct variation

the perimeter of a square varies directly with the length of a side