The Collaborative International Dictionary
Indirect \In`di*rect"\, a. [Pref. in- not + direct: cf. F. indirect.]
Not direct; not straight or rectilinear; deviating from a direct line or course; circuitous; as, an indirect road.
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Not tending to an aim, purpose, or result by the plainest course, or by obvious means, but obliquely or consequentially; by remote means; as, an indirect accusation, attack, answer, or proposal.
By what bypaths and indirect, crooked ways I met this crown.
--Shak. -
Not straightforward or upright; unfair; dishonest; tending to mislead or deceive.
Indirect dealing will be discovered one time or other.
--Tillotson. Not resulting directly from an act or cause, but more or less remotely connected with or growing out of it; as, indirect results, damages, or claims.
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(Logic & Math.) Not reaching the end aimed at by the most plain and direct method; as, an indirect proof, demonstration, etc.
Indirect claims, claims for remote or consequential damage. Such claims were presented to and thrown out by the commissioners who arbitrated the damage inflicted on the United States by the Confederate States cruisers built and supplied by Great Britain.
Indirect demonstration, a mode of demonstration in which proof is given by showing that any other supposition involves an absurdity (reductio ad absurdum), or an impossibility; thus, one quantity may be proved equal to another by showing that it can be neither greater nor less.
Indirect discourse. (Gram.) See Direct discourse, under Direct.
Indirect evidence, evidence or testimony which is circumstantial or inferential, but without witness; -- opposed to direct evidence.
Indirect tax, a tax, such as customs, excises, etc., exacted directly from the merchant, but paid indirectly by the consumer in the higher price demanded for the articles of merchandise.
WordNet
n. evidence providing only a basis for inference about the fact in dispute [syn: circumstantial evidence] [ant: direct evidence]
Usage examples of "indirect evidence".
With respect to apogeotropism, De Vries maintains that it generally comes into play, and of this fact we shall presently advance some indirect evidence.
However, no one else can be sure Im innocent and all the indirect evidence points to me--and this must be faced squarely in deciding what, if anything, we can do.
However, no one else can be sure I'm innocent and all the indirect evidence points to me-and this must be faced squarely in deciding what, if anything, we can do.
However, no one else can be sure Im innocent and all the indirect evidence points to meand this must be faced squarely in deciding what, if anything, we can do.
So what indirect evidence is there for infinite space and distant copies of our own world?
In a paper published in 1962, I had concluded from indirect evidence that the average surface temperature on Venus was about 800 degrees F and the average surface atmospheric pressure about fifty times larger than at the surface of Earth.
The next space was more questionable, its existence supported on a gossamer net of indirect evidence.