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
But, these physical differences do not directly or solely determine the risk of fragility fractures–bone quality and health does. Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 4 June 2025 These private ventures could benefit directly from crypto-friendly legislation and the executive orders emerging from Washington. Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 In addition to UnitedHealth Group, the lawsuit named Chief Executive Andrew Witty and Chief Financial Officer John Rex as co-defendants, alleging they were directly involved in the dissemination of misleading information to investors during the affected period. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025 Every item in this collection comes directly from my personal archive. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 June 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 8 Jun. 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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