directly

adverb

di·rect·ly | \ də-ˈrek(t)-lē

, dī-, in sense 2 especially də-ˈrek-lē or ˈdrek-lē\

Definition of directly

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : without delay : immediately the second game followed directly after the first

b : in a little while : shortly we'll be leaving directly

directly

conjunction

di·rect·ly | \ də-ˈrek(t)-lē

, dī-; ˈdrek-lē\

Definition of directly (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly British

: immediately after : as soon as directly I received it I rang up the shipping company— F. W. Crofts

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about directly

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Synonyms & Antonyms for directly

Synonyms: Adverb

dead, direct, due, plumb, plump, right, straight, straightway

Antonyms: Adverb

indirectly

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

Black holes are almost impossible to see directly, so that would explain why dark matter has remained so elusive for so long. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Rule Out Hawking Theory for Source of Dark Matter," 4 Apr. 2019 Dynamic email works by sucking a small portion of the web directly into the email pane, automating a particular task. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Update: Google Gmail, Microsoft Outlook.com add 'dynamic email,' to avoid the pain of new tabs," 27 Mar. 2019 At the end of the exhibit, visitors get to sit on a bench in front of a large blow-up of the artist staring directly into the camera. — Lillian Dondero, ELLE Decor, "Fashionably Late: An Editor's Take on the Frida Kahlo Exhibit in Brooklyn," 27 Mar. 2019 The Wall will be paid for, directly or indirectly, or through longer term reimbursement, by Mexico, which has a ridiculous $71 billion dollar trade surplus with the U.S. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "I’m starting to think Mexico isn’t going to pay for the wall," 20 Dec. 2018 For clients, its a chance to engage directly with the clothes and on-site stylists and the brand seems eager to take the idea on the road. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "A New Wave of Size-Inclusive Pop-Ups Is Shaking Up the Holiday Shopping Experience," 5 Dec. 2018 That is, could a person — like a photon or an electron or Schrödinger’s hapless cat, dead and alive at the same time — directly engage with the quantum world? — Tim Folger, Discover Magazine, "How Quantum Mechanics Lets Us See, Smell and Touch," 24 Oct. 2018 No one in the royal household has directly commented on the Thomas Markle drama—yet. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Reportedly Didn't Listen to the Queen About the Drama With Her Dad," 20 Dec. 2018 There are a number of possible environmental benefits or sustainability benefits by working directly with biological organisms. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "How slime molds and mussels could be the future of architecture," 27 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'directly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.