directly

1 of 2

adverb

di·​rect·​ly də-ˈrek(t)-lē 

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 

dī-;

ˈdrek-lē

chiefly British

: immediately after : as soon as

directly I received it I rang up the shipping company

—F. W. Crofts

Synonyms

Adverb

• dead
• direct
• due
• plumb
• plump
• right
• straight
• straightway

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

Adverb

And business leaders have been clear that those costs will likely get passed directly to their customers. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024

About half of new wireless subscribers are signing on directly to the Boost network, but that share needs to grow. —Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024

As noted by employees in recent videos celebrating Kennedy’s potential role in the Trump administration, IRS rules prohibit nonprofits from directly or indirectly supporting political campaigns. —Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. —The Week Us, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

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

Conjunction

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing directly

• directly proportional

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