directly

di·rect·ly | \ də-ˈrek(t)-lē

How to pronounce directly (audio)

, 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

di·rect·ly | \ də-ˈrek(t)-lē

How to pronounce directly (audio)

, 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

Keep scrolling for more

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 Much of that has directly to do with America’s current political moment, and the current president himself. — Casey Michel, The New Republic, "NATO Is Expanding, and Everyone Is Curiously Silent," 16 Jan. 2020 Even Loonin and her co-authors agree that the U.S. president alone cannot directly forgive student debt. — Stephen Gandel, CBS News, "Could Elizabeth Warren really wipe out $1 trillion in student loans in a single stroke?," 16 Jan. 2020 Instead the researchers showed that in the human cells, beta-amyloid led directly to tau tangles. — Karen Weintraub, Scientific American, "Possible Missing Link in Alzheimer’s Pathology Identified," 16 Jan. 2020 Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox The Saudis, like other foreign students, are free to travel off base, as Alshamrani did in a trip taken to the 9/11 Memorial in New York during the Thanksgiving holidays. — Sig Christenson, ExpressNews.com, "Report: Saudis sent home include trainees at AF bases, including San Antonio," 16 Jan. 2020 Get ahead of wedding season stress and download GLOW, a mobile app that brings beauty right to your door via beauty professionals who bring their talents directly to your home. — Sarah Cook Mcbride, al, "Birmingham magazine January culture picks," 16 Jan. 2020 Gonzalez hysterically pleaded directly into the cameras for answers and for something to be done even as her family tries to pull her away from the light. — Bree Burkitt, azcentral, "'I need justice': Family, mourners mark one year since police shooting of Antonio Arce," 15 Jan. 2020 Additionally, Polak said many have reached out to her directly offering support. — Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "South Milwaukee dental assistant says she was fired after posting a pro-Trump comment on Facebook," 15 Jan. 2020 The community is invited to hear directly from the candidates as KPCC senior politics reporter Libby Denkmann and L.A. Times editorial writer Robert Greene co-moderate the discussion. — Los Angeles Times, "KPCC and Los Angeles Times to Co-Host Debate with Candidates for L.A. County District Attorney," 15 Jan. 2020

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about directly

Dictionary Entries near directly

direct lighting

direct loss by fire

directly proportional

direct marketing

Statistics for directly

Last Updated

19 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Directly.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/directly. Accessed 20 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for directly

directly

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of directly

(Entry 1 of 2)

: in a direct way

: in a straight or direct line from a particular position

: without delay

directly

conjunction

English Language Learners Definition of directly (Entry 2 of 2)

British : immediately after : as soon as

See the full definition for directly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

directly

di·rect·ly | \ də-ˈrekt-lē

, dī- \

Kids Definition of directly

1 : in a straight course or line She sits directly across from me. The road runs directly north.

2 : straight to or from a source : without interference I spoke directly to the principal.

3 : immediately sense 2 She began directly to work.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

dauntless

not to be intimidated or subdued

Test Your Vocabulary

The Eponym Quiz

Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.