English Explanatory Dictionary

indirect

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Not direct
  2. Not direct:
  3. Not of obvious or immediate cause, but as a secondary result.
  4. Not focused straight at the target or subject; whose true aim appears secondary or obscure.
  5. Not involving the quickest, shortest, or most convenient path; oblique.
  6. Employing argument by contradiction; making use the law of the excluded middle; arguing via the contrapositive.
  7. Figuratively
  8. Not straightforward, fair, or honest; corrupt.
noun
  1. An indirect cost.
  2. An indirect radiator.
verb
  1. To access by means of indirection; to dereference.

Pronunciation

/ˌɪn.daɪˈɹɛkt/ /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛkt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-indirect.wav /ˌɪn.dəˈɹɛkt/ /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹekt/ /ˌɪn.dɑɪˈɹekt/

Word forms

indirect more indirect most indirect indirects indirecting indirected

Etymology

From Middle French indirect, from Late Latin indirectus (“not direct”).

Synonyms

circuitous

Antonyms

direct

Related words

indirection

Derived words

free indirect discourse free indirect style indirect anagram indirect cost indirect dye indirect election indirect fire indirect free kick indirectivity indirect kiss indirectly indirect maternal death indirectness indirect object indirect predation indirect procurement indirect question indirect quotation indirect red card indirect report indirect speech indirect tax indirect transitive

Translations

Bulgarian: непряк Bulgarian: косвен Catalan: indirecte Chinese Mandarin: 間接 /间接 Cornish: andhidro Czech: nepřímý Dutch: onrechtstreeks Dutch: indirect Esperanto: nerekta Finnish: epäsuora Finnish: välillinen French: indirect Galician: indirecto German: indirekt Greek: έμμεσος Hungarian: indirekt Hungarian: közvetett Italian: indiretto Latin: obliquus Māori: porowhawhe Polish: pośredni Portuguese: indireto Russian: ко́свенный Russian: непрямо́й Slovak: nepriamy Spanish: indirecto Welsh: anuniongyrchol
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