Definitions for: Directly


[adv] without delay; with no time intervening; "he answered immediately"; "found an answer straightaway"; "an official accused of dishonesty should be suspended forthwith"; "Come here now!"
[adv] without deviation; "the path leads directly to the lake"; "went direct to the office"
[adv] in a forthright manner; candidly or frankly; "he didn't answer directly"; "told me straight out"; "came out flat for less work and more pay"
[adv] without anyone or anything intervening; "these two factors are directly related"; "he was directly responsible"; "measured the physical properties directly"



Webster (1913) Definition: Di*rect"ly, adv.
1. In a direct manner; in a straight line or course. ``To run
directly on.'' --Shak.

Indirectly and directly too Thou hast contrived
against the very life Of the defendant. --Shak.

2. In a straightforward way; without anything intervening;
not by secondary, but by direct, means.

3. Without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in
express terms.

No man hath hitherto been so impious as plainly and
directly to condemn prayer. --Hooker.

4. Exactly; just.

Stand you directly in Antonius' way. --Shak.

5. Straightforwardly; honestly.

I have dealt most directly in thy affair. --Shak.

6. Manifestly; openly. [Obs.]

Desdemona is directly in love with him. --Shak.

7. Straightway; next in order; without delay; immediately.
``Will she go now to bed?' ?Directly.''' --Shak.

8. Immediately after; as soon as.

Directly he stopped, the coffin was removed.
--Dickens.

Note: This use of the word is common in England, especially
in colloquial speech, but it can hardly be regarded as
a well-sanctioned or desirable use.

Directly proportional (Math.), proportional in the order of
the terms; increasing or decreasing together, and with a
constant ratio; -- opposed to inversely proportional.

Syn: Immediately; forthwith; straightway; instantly;
instantaneously; soon; promptly; openly; expressly.

Usage: -- Directly, Immediately, Instantly,
Instantaneously. Directly denotes, without any delay
or diversion of attention; immediately implies,
without any interposition of other occupation;
instantly implies, without any intervention of time.
Hence, ``I will do it directly,'' means, ``I will go
straightway about it.'' ``I will do it immediately,''
means, ``I will do it as the very next thing.'' ``I
will do it instantly,'' allows not a particle of
delay. Instantaneously, like instantly, marks an
interval too small to be appreciable, but commonly
relates to physical causes; as, the powder touched by
fire instantaneously exploded.

Synonyms: at once, direct, flat, forthwith, immediately, in real time, instantly, now, right away, straight, straight off, straightaway

Antonyms: indirectly

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