indirect
/ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛkt/adjective, noun, verb
indirect is spelled I-N-D-I-R-E-C-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 7,121st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, indirect means “Not direct” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in indirect?
| Letters | 8: I-N-D-I-R-E-C-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 10 times per million words; the 7,121st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is indirect?
Indirect appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 7,121st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce indirect?
- UK /ˌɪn.daɪˈɹɛkt/
- UK /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛkt/
- US /ˌɪn.dɪˈɹɛkt/
Indirect has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-indirect.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with indirect?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as indirect from its last stressed vowel (/ɛkt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of indirect
- more indirect comparative
- most indirect superlative
- indirects plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- indirecting participle, present
- indirected participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does indirect mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not direct
While not mentioning any of their competitors by name, the CEO made some indirect statements that they were acting immorally.
- 2
Not of obvious or immediate cause, but as a secondary result.
The direct result of socialising every day in the bars may be happiness and meeting new people, but the indirect results could be addiction, or even poverty.
- 3
Not focused straight at the target or subject; whose true aim appears secondary or obscure.
- 4
Not involving the quickest, shortest, or most convenient path; oblique.
In an effort to beat the traffic jams, they opted to take an indirect route to their destination.
- 5
Employing argument by contradiction; making use the law of the excluded middle; arguing via the contrapositive.
- 6
Figuratively
- 7
archaicNot straightforward, fair, or honest; corrupt.
noun
- 1
An indirect cost.
- 2
An indirect radiator.
verb
- 1
To access by means of indirection; to dereference.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate indirect?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of indirect: ind..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Indirect in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense not direct:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does indirect come from?
From Middle French indirect, from Late Latin indirectus (“not direct”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).