directly

1 of 2

adverb

di·​rect·​ly də-ˈrek(t)-lē How to pronounce directly (audio)
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 How to pronounce directly (audio)
dī-;
ˈdrek-lē
chiefly British
: immediately after : as soon as
directly I received it I rang up the shipping companyF. W. Crofts

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
Our tip would be to spend your Friday sundown at their restaurant Helios, where tables and chairs sit directly in the sand. Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 Fortunately, a gentleman standing directly in front of the couple had the answer. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Asserting this requires a demonstration that some event in the digital realm directly led to a flesh-and-blood person’s suffering in the offline world. Frank H. McCourt Jr., Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Both sell a grab bag of typically low-cost and often random stuff directly from vendors that are mostly in China. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 In our meeting venue, arranged by one of the premier scientific organizations in the United States, there was an inviting jar of chocolate chip cookies on a small table … directly on the path to and from the toilets. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Along the way, Huck has a necessary moral awakening as his Black companion teaches him, directly and indirectly, about the evils of prejudice. Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 One is to give directly to National Review, a for-profit enterprise (theoretically) that engages in political advocacy. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 12 Mar. 2024 Instead, the facilities hid a more sinister plan: to defraud hundreds of millions of dollars from the state by charging the American Indian Health Program, a Medicaid health plan that allows providers to bill directly for reimbursement of services rendered to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'directly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

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

Conjunction

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of directly was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near directly

Cite this Entry

“Directly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/directly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on directly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!