circumlocution

(sûr'kəm-lō-kyū'shən)
n.

1. The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.
2. Evasion in speech or writing.
3. A roundabout expression.

[Middle English circumlocucioun, from Latin circumlocūtiō, circumlocūtiōn-, from circumlocūtus, past participle of circumloquī : circum-, circum- + loquī, to speak.]

circumlocutorily cir'cum·loc'u·to'ri·ly (-lŏk'yə-tôr'ə-lē, -tōr'-) adv.
circumlocutory cir'cum·loc'u·to'ry (-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē) adj.

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n

Definition: redundancy
Antonyms: conciseness, directness, straightforwardness, terseness

circumlocution, the roundabout manner of referring to something at length rather than naming it briefly and directly, usually known in literary terminology as periphrasis.

(sur-kuhm-loh-kyooh-shuhn)

Roundabout speech or writing: “The driveway was not unlike that military training device known as an obstacle course” is a circumlocution for “The driveway resembled an obstacle course.” Circumlocution comes from Latin words meaning “speaking around.”

For a list of words related to circumlocution, see:

• Rhetoric and Figures of Speech - circumlocution: roundabout mode of expression; use of unnecessary verbiage

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See words rhyming with "circumlocution."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Circumlocution.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - omsvøb

Nederlands (Dutch)
omslachtigheid

Français (French)
n. - circonlocution, périphrase

Deutsch (German)
n. - Weitschweifigkeit

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - περίφραση

Italiano (Italian)
perifrasi

Português (Portuguese)
n. - circunlóquio (m)

Русский (Russian)
многословие

Español (Spanish)
n. - circunloquio, circunlocución

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - omskrivning, omsvep

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
婉转曲折的说法

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 婉轉曲折的說法

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 완곡한 표현, 핑계

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - まわりくどさ, 言い抜け, 遠回しな言い方

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) لف و دوران في الكلام‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮גיבוב מלים, דיבור מתחמק‬

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