indirect

[in-duh-rekt, -dahy-] / ˌɪn dəˈrɛkt, -daɪ- /

ADJECTIVE

roundabout; unintended

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ambiguous ancillary circuitous implied incidental oblique tortuous

STRONG

collateral

WEAK

circular circumlocutory complicated contingent crooked devious discursive duplicitous erratic eventual long long way home long-drawn-out long-winded meandering obscure out-of-the-way periphrastic rambling secondary serpentine sidelong sinister sinuous snaking sneaking sneaky subsidiary twisting underhand vagrant wandering winding zigzag

Antonyms

STRONGEST

direct straight straightforward

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are also indirect effects as insurers drop customers in hurricane-prone areas or withdraw from states.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

In a call with analysts last October, Kaur, HSBC’s CFO, sounded a note of caution about the dangers of indirect private-credit exposures.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

When her clients raise the subject, they tend to be indirect rather than admit they’re struggling.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Researchers relied on indirect techniques that could reveal a planet's mass, size, or sometimes both.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

A more indirect way involved the consequences of the sedentary lifestyle enforced by food production.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Vocabulary lists containing indirect

Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List

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Geography and World Regions

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Workshop 2, Part 2

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