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.

This kind of indirect observation is not new.

From Science Daily • May 26, 2026

The indirect effect comes as those costs spread through transportation, manufacturing and goods prices.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

Taneja still controls about 130,000 Tesla shares, including indirect holdings, according to the filing.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

The Singapore systems integrator faces some indirect risks stemming from the Middle East conflict, such as higher input costs, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

The chlorinated hydrocarbons are precisely the kind of agent that can bring about this kind of indirect carcinogenesis, because all of them are toxic in some degree to the liver.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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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