INDIRECT

(NOT STRAIGHT) [adjective] - not following a straight line; not directly or simply connectedYou could go through the city, but there are hold-ups, so it'll be quickest to take an indirect route through the suburbs.It's difficult to fly straight from the US to Africa - you usually have to take an indirect flight via Europe.An indirect cost is an amount of money spent by a business on things other than the products they make.Property taxes and rent are indirect costs for almost all businesses.(specialized) An indirect object is the person or thing which receives the effect of the action of a verb with two objects.In the sentence 'Give Val some cake', 'Val' is the indirect object. See also object (GRAMMAR). Compare direct object at direct (STRAIGHT).(specialized) Indirect speech (UK and ANZ also reported speech, US also indirect discourse) is the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.If someone says "Jane said (that) she couldn't help it" to report that Jane had said "I couldn't help it", they are using indirect speech. Compare direct speech at direct (STRAIGHT).Indirect tax(ation) is (UK and ANZ) tax charged on goods and services rather than on the money that people earn, or (US) tax charged on goods before they reach their final buyer.