directly

1 of 2

adverb

di·​rect·​ly də-ˈrek(t)-lē How to pronounce directly (audio)
dī-,
 in sense 2 especially  də-ˈrek-lē,
 or  ˈdrek-lē
1
a
: in a direct manner
directly relevant
the road runs directly east and west
b
: in immediate physical contact
c
: in the manner of direct variation
2
a
: without delay : immediately
the second game followed directly after the first
b
: in a little while : shortly
we'll be leaving directly

directly

2 of 2

conjunction

di·​rect·​ly də-ˈrek(t)-lē How to pronounce directly (audio)
dī-;
ˈdrek-lē
chiefly British
: immediately after : as soon as
directly I received it I rang up the shipping companyF. W. Crofts

Examples of directly in a Sentence

Adverb He refused to answer the question directly. She said that she wanted to speak to you directly. The package will be sent directly to your home. The two accidents are directly related. Thousands of people were directly affected by the disaster. Antonyms are words that are directly opposite in meaning. We parked directly behind the store. He sat directly across from me at the dinner table. Conjunction I came directly I received your message.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
The oil and gas industry alone directly and indirectly supports 1.4 million Texas jobs. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025 Co-producer Jacob Tell says that the upcoming concert and auction will directly support music industry workers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires with grants for housing, medical bills, groceries and other living essentials. Andrea Zarczynski, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025 Flanked by two men who appeared to be security, Gascón bypassed the Cesar press line and went directly inside the Olympia auditorium. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Feb. 2025 Earlier this month, a judge in Massachusetts said unions suing over a deferred resignation offer weren’t directly affected and so lacked legal standing to challenge it. Janie Har, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for directly

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Conjunction

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of directly was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Directly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/directly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

directly

adverb
di·​rect·​ly
də-ˈrek-(t)lē,
dī-,
 in sense 2 also  ˈdrek-lē
1
a
: in a direct manner
she spoke directly
b
: most closely located
the person directly to my left
2
: without delay : immediately
go directly home
3
: in the manner of direct variation
the perimeter of a square varies directly with the length of a side

More from Merriam-Webster on directly

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