Circumlocute

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Expressing an idea by using many more words than necessary, avoiding a plain statement by taking a long, indirect route
2. Talking around a subject in a wordy, evasive manner rather than saying what one means outright
3. To express oneself through long-winded, roundabout phrasing that circles the point without stating it plainly

Etymology: "Circumlocute" is a back-formation: English speakers first had the noun "circumlocution," and the verb was carved out of it by removing the ending that looked like a suffix. The noun itself is older and was built from Latin parts, "circum" meaning "around" and "locutio," a speaking or saying, so the whole idea is literally talking around a subject rather than going straight at it. The pattern is a familiar one in English. People encountered "-ion" nouns such as "conversation" and "narration" and began to treat the ending as a removable piece, so "circumlocution" was trimmed back to a base that could take a verb ending. Verbs formed this way, like "edit" from "editor" or "burgle" from "burglar," show the same reversal of the usual direction of word-building.

Synonyms: periphrase, beat about the bush

Antonyms: specify, state