Circumlocution
noun /ˌsɜːkjʊməˈl(j)uːʃ(ə)n/ — Using many words where few would do — evasive verbosity.
Definition
The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or indirect — the practice of talking around a subject without saying what you mean.
Beyond the definition
Circumlocution is the enemy of good writing and the tool of bad faith. Bureaucracies use it to avoid responsibility; diplomats use it to defer commitment; anxious people use it to avoid saying difficult things directly.
Origin & history
From Latin circumlocutio, from circum (around) + loqui (to speak). Talking around something — the speech that orbits its subject without landing.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The answer was pure circumlocution — three paragraphs that managed to say nothing.
She cut through the circumlocution with one direct question that the committee had no way to avoid.
Dickens's Circumlocution Office satirised a bureaucracy expert in the art of not doing anything directly.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Circumlocution” when the meaning fits your context: The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or indirect — the practice of talking around a subject without saying what you mean.
Synonyms
verbosity, periphrasis, evasion, wordiness
Antonyms
brevity, directness, concision
Related words
Circumlocution vs periphrasis
Circumlocution is the general act of talking around a point. Periphrasis is a technical term used in rhetoric to describe specific roundabout phrasing.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Debating at Woods Crossroads
Two adults stand at a crossroads in the woods, pointing to different paths and arguing their opposing views in debate.
The circular nature of the argument and the pointing to paths that lead away from a direct answer illustrate circumlocution. It represents the practice of talking around a subject, being indirect or vague rather than clearly stating what is meant.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Circumlocution" mean?
Circumlocution is noun meaning: Using many words where few would do — evasive verbosity.. The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or indirect — the practice of talking around a subject without saying what you mean.
Where does the word "Circumlocution" come from?
From Latin circumlocutio, from circum (around) + loqui (to speak). Talking around something — the speech that orbits its subject without landing.