Obliquities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state or quality of being slanted or inclined, often leading to indirectness or divergence from the expected course
2. Referring to awkwardness or obscurity in communication, suggesting a lack of clarity or straightforwardness
3. The presence of deviations from a straight path or conventional behavior, highlighting unusual angles or perspectives

Etymology: "Obliquities" is the plural of "obliquity", which describes the state of being slanted, indirect, or not straightforward. The base word is "oblique", from Latin "oblīquus", meaning slanting or sideways, and "obliquity" adds the suffix "-ity", which forms abstract nouns of quality. The noun passed into English through Middle French "obliquité" and ultimately from Latin "oblīquitās", so its core sense is literal: a deviation from a straight line or a direct course. The sense of indirectness in speech and conduct grew naturally from that physical picture. A crooked path or a sloping line is roundabout, and so a roundabout way of putting things, or evasiveness in conduct, came to be called an obliquity. The plural form "obliquities" therefore refers to several such evasions or indirect expressions at once, which is how the word is used when describing murky or unclear communication.

Synonyms: deviations, angles