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di·rect·ly (dĭ-rĕktlē, dī-)
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adv.
1. In a direct line or manner; straight: The road runs directly north.
2. Without anyone or anything intervening: directly responsible.
3. Exactly or totally: directly opposite.
4. At once; instantly: Leave directly.
5. Candidly; frankly: answered very directly.
6. Chiefly Southern US In a little while; shortly: He'll be coming directly.
conj.
Chiefly British
As soon as.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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