directlyadv/dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/

• 1

  In a direct manner; in a straight line or course.

  • He drove directly to the office, and didn't stop off at the petrol station.
  • On arriving at the doors, and entering a long, capacious passage, our eyes became quite dazzled by the gleams of colored light which shone upon them, both directly and reflectedly.
• 2

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

  • I'm sick of asking you to fire him; I'll just do it directly.
• 3

  Plainly, without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms.

  • I'm going to tell Natalie directly that I love her.
  • To put it more directly: he's not 'made redundant' but sacked.
• 4

  Exactly; just; at the shortest possible distance.

  • It's directly across the street.
  • The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone,[…]. Scribes, illuminators, and scholars held such stones directly over manuscript pages as an aid in seeing what was being written, drawn, or read.
• 5

  Straightforwardly; honestly.

  • He told me directly that he'd cheated on me, and how sorry he was for it.
• 6

  datedImmediately.

• 7

  dateddialectalSoon; next; in due time; as soon as it becomes convenient.

  • We'll go to the store directly, but first I need to finish sweeping.

directlyconj/dɪˈɹɛk(t).li/

• 1

  As soon as; immediately (elliptical for directly that/as/when)

  • “He is, he is," Nastenka repeated. “He is here, and I know it. We made an agreement at the time, that evening, before he went away: when we said all that I have told you, and had come to an understanding, then we came out here for a walk on this embankment. It was ten o'clock; we sat on this seat. I was not crying then; it was sweet to me to hear what he said.... And he said that he would come to us directly he arrived, and if I did not refuse him, then we would tell grandmother about it all. Now he is here, I know it, and yet he does not come!"
  • Tenderly, reluctantly, he took his leave of her, promising that he would contact her directly he got back, perhaps in ten days or so.