circumlocution

Advancedzipf 1.62

Pronunciation

/ˌsɜːkəmləˈkjuːʃən/(sur-kum-loh-KYOO-shun)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

绕弯子；迂回的说法

Definition

The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

Word family

  • circumlocutory/ˌsɜːkəmˈlɒkjʊtəri/(adj)绕弯子的

Collocations

  • resort to circumlocution
  • avoid circumlocution
  • a piece of circumlocution
  • bureaucratic circumlocution

Examples

  1. 1.Instead of saying "no," the diplomat resorted to circumlocution to avoid giving offense. (indirect speech)
  2. 2.Government documents are often full of circumlocution that obscures their true meaning. (verbose evasion)

Synonyms

  • verbosity/vɜːˈbɒsɪti/— using too many words
  • periphrasis/pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/— roundabout phrasing
  • wordiness/ˈwɜːdɪnəs/— using more words than needed

Etymology

from Latin "circumlocutio" — circum- (around) + loqui (to speak) — speaking around the point