Verbiages

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of words or phrases used excessively or unnecessarily in speech or writing
2. The use of inflated language or verbosity that may obscure meaning rather than clarify it
3. An abundance of words characterized by elaborate expression or detail, often lacking in conciseness or clarity

Etymology: "Verbiages" is the plural of "verbiage," a noun for wordy, excessive language. The singular came into English from French "verbiage," formed from "verbe" (word), which descends from Latin "verbum" with the same meaning. The French suffix "-age" turns the base into a collective noun, so the singular already denotes a mass of words, which is why the plural is rarely needed and sounds slightly odd. The same Latin root "verbum" sits behind a family of English words that share its sense of wording. "Verbal" and "verbose" come from the same stem, and "verbose" in particular describes speech that uses more words than the meaning requires, the very quality "verbiage" names. The English word thus carries an older French flavour of "words in bulk" rather than of words in precision.

Synonyms: wordiness, verbosity, prolixity, circumlocution, expansiveness

Antonyms: conciseness, brevity, succinctness, clarity