Definition of "indirection" [in•di•rec•tion]

• The quality or state of being indirect. (noun)
• Lack of straightforwardness; deviousness: obtained their goal by subtle indirection. (noun)
• A devious act or statement: wouldn't give us a straight answer, only hints and indirections. (noun)
• Lack of direction; aimlessness. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And one of the things this book does very well, in its interstices, by indirection, is talk about how that sea-change came about."
• "This novel is an ambitious experiment in indirection by the author of Breakfast on Pluto."
• "THE PRESIDENT: Well, since 1991, our strategy has been to keep the sanctions on, keep Iraq from rebuilding its military might and threatening its neighbors, but to pursue this inspection system to end what is the biggest threat both to its neighbors and to others by indirection, which is the chemical, the biological, and the nuclear weapons program."