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

When his inquiry leads directly to a ruthless corporate chairman played by Tony Leung Ka-fai, the two seasoned operators become locked in a battle of wits. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026

The Boston Red Sox had sent ownership and front-office executives to settle the negotiation directly with the player, hoping relationship leverage would carry the economics. — Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Seventeen safety incidents were logged, eight tied directly to the device, mostly skin irritation and muscle spasms, plus one fall with no injury. — New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026

Many of the questions were aimed at Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, after the former Heisman Trophy candidate turned the ball over three times, including two fumbles that led directly to 10 Georgia first-half points. — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 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