indirect

adjective in·di·rect \ ˌin-də-ˈrekt , -(ˌ)dī- \

Definition of indirect

:not direct: such as

a (1) :deviating from a direct line or course :roundabout

(2) :not going straight to the point

an indirect accusation

(3) :being or involving proof of a proposition or theorem by demonstration that its negation leads to an absurdity or contradiction

b :not straightforward and open :deceitful

c :not directly aimed at or achieved

indirect consequences

d :stating what a real or supposed original speaker said with changes in wording that conform the statement grammatically to the sentence in which it is included

indirect discourse

an indirect question

e :not effected by the action of the people or the electorate

indirect government representation

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indirectly

play \ˌin-də-ˈrekt-lē, -(ˌ)dī-\ adverb

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indirectness

play \ˌin-də-ˈrekt-nəs, -(ˌ)dī-\ noun

See indirect defined for English-language learners

See indirect defined for kids

Examples of indirect in a Sentence

We took an indirect route.
These plants grow best in bright indirect light.
He gave only vague, indirect answers to our questions.
They used indirect methods of investigation.
There were many indirect references to his earlier books.
Looking at her watch was her indirect way of telling him it was time to leave.
Poor nutrition may have been an indirect cause of the disease.
The cigarette stubs were indirect evidence that someone had been smoking in the room.
“He said that he would call later,” is an example of indirect speech since his actual words were “I'll call later.”
an indirect question such as “She asked whether the doctor had arrived”

Recent Examples of indirect from the Web

Other indirect investments were found to support CoreCivic and GEO Group, other companies with connections to private prisons As of Dec. 2016, the city's pension fund had a market value of assets of $2.22 billion.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati moves to divest from 'unholy cause' of private prisons," 30 Aug. 2017
Still, one bright spot might be that indirect damages from Harvey might not be particularly bad.

— alana semuels, The Atlantic, "How a Disaster’s Economic Impacts Are Calculated," 29 Aug. 2017
Indirect effect Marbán said the study adds to growing evidence that progenitor cells exert their healing power by secreting chemicals that stimulate repair, not by permanently incorporating themselves into the body.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Young cardiac cells rejuvenate heart in animal study," 29 Aug. 2017
Finding out a baby’s name is an indirect effort, entirely dependent on what that baby’s parent is sharing and where.

— jen gann, The Cut, "What to Do When You Forget the Name of Your Friend’s Baby," 15 Aug. 2017
Virgílio Neto notes that those are only the direct jobs—in indirect ways, the center is responsible for almost all employment in Manaus.

— david biller, Bloomberg.com, "Forced Into the City After 9,000 Years in the Jungle," 8 Aug. 2017
Mr Trump’s victory and Brexit—have only an indirect link to the financial crisis.

— The Economist, "The power of populists," 20 July 2017
For a gas grill, prepare grill for medium-low indirect heat, leaving one or two burners off.

— andrew knowlton, Bon Appetit, "You Can 100% Smoke Chicken Wings at Home," 17 July 2017
In an Instagram post this weekend, Lawson shared a few choice stanzas by the 13th-century poet Rumi, seemingly an indirect way of confirming that was Beyoncé and Jay Z's inspiration behind the moniker for Rumi Carter.

— melissa minton, Glamour, "The Inspiration for Rumi Carter's Name Was Just Explained by Tina Knowles," 17 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of indirect

Middle English, from Medieval Latin indirectus, from Latin in- + directus direct — more at dress

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First Known Use: 14th century

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indirect Synonyms

Synonyms

circuitous, circular, roundabout

Antonyms

direct, straight, straightforward

Related Words

crooked, curvy, serpentine, sinuous, tortuous, twisting, winding; meandering, rambling, wandering; circumlocutory, long-winded, prolix, verbose; deceitful, deceptive, devious, dishonest, duplicitous, insidious, misleading, sneaky, underhand, underhanded; calculating, crafty, cunning, subtle, tricky

Near Antonyms

candid, forthright, frank, honest, open, plain, unconcealed, undisguised

INDIRECT Defined for Kids

indirect

adjective in·di·rect \ ˌin-də-ˈrekt , -dī- \

Definition of indirect for Students

1 :not straight or direct

an indirect route

2 :not straightforward

an indirect answer

3 :not having a plainly seen connection

an indirect cause

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indirectly

adverb

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indirectness

noun

Medical Dictionary

indirect

adjective in·di·rect \ ˌin-də-ˈrekt, -dī- \

medical Definition of indirect

1 :not direct: as

a :not resulting directly from an action or cause (as a disease)

indirect effects of malaria

b :involving intermediate or intervening parts or pathways

stimulation of one eye elicits narrowing of the pupil of the other eye by an indirect reaction

indirect attachment of a muscle through tendons

2 :involving or being immunofluorescence in which antibodies of two kinds are used of which the first combine with a specific protein and the second contain a fluorescent label and combine with the antibodies of the first type

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