Prolixite

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The tendency of speech or writing to go on at great length, using more words than the subject requires
2. Excessive length and wordiness in a speech, essay or text that makes it tedious to read or hear
3. Wordiness that stretches a discussion or piece of writing far beyond what its content needs

Etymology: Before it meant "long-winded," the Latin "prolixus" meant "stretched out" or "flowing forth," from "pro-" (forward) and a root for liquid flow. A speech or road that kept going was prolix in that literal sense, and the idea of extension carried over into the figurative sense of talk that keeps going past the point of usefulness. The noun came into English from Old French "prolixite," itself from Latin "prolixitas," during the later Middle Ages, and the spelling with a final "-e" is an older English variant. Modern dictionaries prefer "prolixity," which follows the same pattern, and both forms share the core sense of excessive length. The "-ity" ending, like the "-ite" ending here, is a standard way of turning a Latin adjective into a noun meaning "the quality of."

Synonyms: verbosity, wordiness, long-windedness, diffuseness, tediousness

Antonyms: concision, brevity, terseness, conciseness, succinctness