- in a roundabout way; not by the shortest or straightest path: Since I had time to spare I took a bus that went a bit indirectly to my destination, and saw places on the way that I never knew existed.
- by a connection that is not immediate: We all pay into the federal tax system indirectly when we purchase goods from companies that pay taxes.
- in a way that is veiled or not straightforward; obliquely: I use poetic language to speak indirectly about those things that seem to slip from our grasp as soon as we name them.
- deviously or covertly: The ad comes from a group indirectly funded by the cult and calling itself by another name.
- as indirect discourse; not as an actual quotation:If I’m reporting the person’s speech indirectly, I’d speak about them in the third person—using “she,” “he,” or “they.”
