What does indirect mean in English? Meaning of indirect definition and abbreviation with examples.
Meaning of "indirect": having intervening factors or persons or influences
Adjective
Meaning: having intervening factors or persons or influencesExample: reflection from the ceiling provided a soft indirect light
indirect evidence
an indirect causeSynonyms: indirectSimilar: mediateMeaning of "indirect": not direct in spatial dimension; not leading by a straight line or course to a destination
Adjective
Meaning: not direct in spatial dimension; not leading by a straight line or course to a destinationExample: sometimes taking an indirect path saves time
you must take an indirect course in sailingSynonyms: indirectAntonyms: directSimilar: askance
askant
asquint
circuitous
devious
diversionary
meandering
rambling
roundabout
sidelong
squint
squint-eyed
squinty
wandering
windingAlso see: crookedMeaning of "indirect": descended from a common ancestor but through different lines
Adjective
Meaning: descended from a common ancestor but through different linesExample: cousins are collateral relatives
an indirect descendant of the StuartsSynonyms: collateral
indirectAntonyms: direct
linealAlso see: relatedMeaning of "indirect": extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action
Adjective
Meaning: extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or actionExample: making indirect but legitimate inquiries
an indirect insult
doubtless they had some indirect purpose in mind
though his methods are indirect they are not dishonest
known as a shady indirect fellowSynonyms: indirectAntonyms: directSimilar: allusive
ambagious
backhanded
circuitous
circumlocutious
circumlocutory
devious
digressive
discursive
excursive
hearsay
mealy-mouthed
mealymouthed
oblique
periphrastic
rambling
roundabout
tortuousMeaning of "indirect": not as a direct effect or consequence
Adjective
Meaning: not as a direct effect or consequenceExample: indirect benefits
an indirect advantageSynonyms: indirectSimilar: secondaryAdjective: Not direct; roundabout; deceiving; setting a trap; confusing. 1974, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D., chapter 8, The Myth of Mental Illness[1], ISBN 0-06-091151-4, page 139-140: Indirect messages permit communicative contacts when, without them, the alternatives would be total inhibition, si- lence, and solitude on the one hand, or, on the other, com- municative behavior that is direct, offensive, and hence forbidden. This is a painful choice. In actual practice, neither alternative is likely to result in the gratification of personal or sexual needs. In this dilemma, indirect communications pro- vide a useful compromise. As an early move in the dating game, the young man might invite the young woman to dinner or to the movies. These communications are polyvalent: both the invitation and the response to it have several "levels" of meaning. One is the level of the overt message—that is, whether they will have dinner together, go to a movie, and so forth. Another, more covert, level pertains to the question of sexual activity: acceptance of the dinner invitation implies that sexual overtures might perhaps follow. Conversely, rejec- tion of the invitation means not only refusal of companionship for dinner but also of the possibility of further sexual explora- tion. There may be still other levels of meaning. For example, acceptance of the dinner invitation may be interpreted as a sign of personal or sexual worth and hence grounds for increased self-esteem, whereas its rejection may mean the opposite and generate feelings of worthlessness.1974, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D., chapter 8, The Myth of Mental Illness[1], ISBN 0-06-091151-4, page 139-140: Indirect messages permit communicative contacts when, without them, the alternatives would be total inhibition, si- lence, and solitude on the one hand, or, on the other, com- municative behavior that is direct, offensive, and hence forbidden. This is a painful choice. In actual practice, neither alternative is likely to result in the gratification of personal or sexual needs. In this dilemma, indirect communications pro- vide a useful compromise. As an early move in the dating game, the young man might invite the young woman to dinner or to the movies. These communications are polyvalent: both the invitation and the response to it have several "levels" of meaning. One is the level of the overt message—that is, whether they will have dinner together, go to a movie, and so forth. Another, more covert, level pertains to the question of sexual activity: acceptance of the dinner invitation implies that sexual overtures might perhaps follow. Conversely, rejec- tion of the invitation means not only refusal of companionship for dinner but also of the possibility of further sexual explora- tion. There may be still other levels of meaning. For example, acceptance of the dinner invitation may be interpreted as a sign of personal or sexual worth and hence grounds for increased self-esteem, whereas its rejection may mean the opposite and generate feelings of worthlessness.Synonyms:
ambiguous, tortuous, oblique, incidental, implied, ancillary, circuitous, collateral, circular, complicated, contingent, crooked, devious, discursive, duplicitous, erratic, eventual, long, long-winded, meandering, obscure, out-of-the-way, rambling, secondary, serpentine, sinister, sinuous, sneaky, subsidiary, underhand, vagrant, wandering, winding, zigzag, long-drawn-out, periphrastic, sneaking, circumlocutory, long way home, sidelong, snaking, twisting,
Antonyms:
direct, straight, straightforward,
