indirection
noun
in·di·rec·tion
ˌin-də-ˈrek-shən 
-(ˌ)dī-
1
a
: indirect action or procedure
b
: lack of direction : aimlessness
2
a
: lack of straightforwardness and openness : deceitfulness
b
: something (such as an act or statement) marked by lack of straightforwardness
hated diplomatic indirections—
Rev. of Reviews
Rev. of ReviewsExamples of indirection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The title page of the 31-sheet mimeographed pamphlet was designed to hide the contents of the publication and perhaps make a joke about the flowery indirection of the Arabic language.
—Steve Hindy, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2015
There may be many other backdoors, but the one everyone is talking about uses the function indirection stuff to add the hook.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 2024
His direction is the art of indirection, something borne out by other films in the MOMA retrospective.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
The statute explicitly prohibits targeting Americans for surveillance — including by indirection (i.e., targeting non-Americans only as a pretext to spy on Americans with whom the foreigners are in contact).
—The Editors, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for indirection 
Steve Hindy, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2015
There may be many other backdoors, but the one everyone is talking about uses the function indirection stuff to add the hook.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 2024
His direction is the art of indirection, something borne out by other films in the MOMA retrospective.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
The statute explicitly prohibits targeting Americans for surveillance — including by indirection (i.e., targeting non-Americans only as a pretext to spy on Americans with whom the foreigners are in contact).
—The Editors, National Review, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for indirection
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indirection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Indirection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indirection. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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