indirect

adjective
UK: /ˌɪndɪˈrekt/
US: /ˌɪndɪˈrekt/

  1. Not directly caused by or resulting from something.

    1. The sickness was an indirect result of poor sanitation.
    2. His indirect involvement in the scheme was difficult to prove because he used intermediaries.

  2. Not expressed or done in a clear and obvious way.

    1. He made an indirect reference to her bad temper.
    2. The politician's indirect comments hinted at a scandal brewing within the government.

  3. Not going straight from one place to another.

    1. We took an indirect route to avoid the traffic.
    2. The train journey involved an indirect route with several changes making the travel time lengthy.

Synonyms

roundabout implicit circuitous
indirect verb

  1. To manage or control something by working through other people or systems.

    1. She tried to indirect the project team without being the manager.
    2. The CEO preferred to indirect operations through regional managers maintaining a broad oversight.
indirect adverb

  1. In a way that is not direct.

    1. He answered the question indirectly to avoid lying.
    2. The information was conveyed indirectly through a third party creating some ambiguity.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "indirect" in English means: Not directly caused by or resulting from something., Not expressed or done in a clear and obvious way., Not going straight from one place to another..

The phonetic transcription of "indirect" is /ˌɪndɪˈrekt/ in British English and /ˌɪndɪˈrekt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "indirect": roundabout, implicit, circuitous.

Example usage of "indirect": "The sickness was an indirect result of poor sanitation.". More examples on the page.