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
Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Alex Thomas, arkansasonline.com, 24 Mar. 2024 Experimenting with a new free filing service This year, the IRS is testing a new program that allows taxpayers to file electronic returns directly with the government for free, bypassing commercial tax preparers. Scott Horsley, NPR, 24 Mar. 2024 Their report that year described horrible working conditions and directly linked the high hysterectomy rate to the sugar industry. Qadri Inzamam Saumya Khandelwal, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 The Kremlin has said that four people believed to be directly involved in the attack had been arrested while trying to cross the border into Ukraine, according to TASS and other state media outlets. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Also, the pellet stove is designed to vent directly to your chimney. Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Mar. 2024 This isn’t the first time that Lamar has stirred up controversy by directly referencing his peers. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 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

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 28 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!