Definition

Adverb 1. In a roundabout or not direct way: Refers to an action, statement, or process that is not done or expressed in a straightforward, immediate, or explicit manner. It often involves an intermediary step, an implied meaning, or a secondary cause. 2. Not in a forthright manner: Describes communication or action that is evasive, not direct, or not completely honest and open.

Examples

• The manager criticized the project indirectly by praising all the other teams' work.
• She learned about the news indirectly through a mutual friend.
• Smoking can affect health indirectly by weakening the immune system.
• He was indirectly responsible for the mistake, as his poor instructions led to the error.

Advanced Usage

• "To be indirectly involved": To be connected to a situation or event not as a main participant but through a secondary connection or influence.
  • Several companies were indirectly involved in the scandal through their suppliers.
• "To refer to someone/something indirectly": To mention or allude to a person or thing without stating it explicitly, often using pronouns, vague terms, or context.
  • In the meeting, she referred to the budget problem indirectly, hoping others would understand.

Variants and Related Words

• Indirect (adjective): Not direct.
• Directly (adverb): Antonym. In a direct way.

Synonyms

• Circuitously: In a longer, less direct way.
• Obliquely: Not expressed or done in a direct way; indirectly.
• Implicitly: In a way that is suggested though not directly expressed.

Related Phrases

• By implication: In a way that is suggested or understood, though not stated directly. This phrase is closely related to acting or speaking indirectly.
  • He agreed, by implication, when he failed to object.

Adverb

1. not in a forthright manner
   • he answered very indirectly