Wordiness

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɜː(ɹ)dɪnəs/

Definitions

1. The tendency to use superfluous language instead of concise expressions results in a written or spoken form that may confuse the intended message
2. An inclination towards verbosity manifests as an overabundance of words that can obscure meaning and reduce clarity
3. The condition of using more words than necessary, resulting in a text or speech that feels long-winded and cluttered

Etymology: "Wordiness" is a plain formation: the adjective "wordy" with the suffix "-ness" added, which turns a quality into a noun. "Wordy" itself goes back to the Middle English "wordi," built from "word" plus the suffix "-y," meaning "full of" or "characterized by." So a wordy speaker is one full of words, and wordiness is the state of being that way. The suffix "-ness" has a long pedigree. It descends from Old English "-nes" and Middle English "-nesse," tracing back through Proto-Germanic forms to a very old Indo-European root meaning roughly "state" or "condition." Its job has always been the same: it takes an adjective and produces the abstract noun for the quality the adjective describes, which is why English can make a noun like "wordiness" on the spot from almost any adjective.

Synonyms: verbosity, prolixity

Antonyms: conciseness, brevity