circumlocutory

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circumlocutory

/sɜː.kəm.ləʊˈkjuː.tə.ɹi/ UK
/sɝ.kəm.loʊˈkjuː.tɚ.i/ US

Where it comes from

From circumlocution + -ory; compare Medieval Latin circumlocūtōrius from Classical Latin circumlocūtiō.

adjective more circumlocutory · most circumlocutory

Characterised by circumlocution; overly wordy 1727, Jonathan Swift (attributed), Martinus Scriblerus, or the Art of Sinking In Poetry Periphrase is another great aid to prolixity; being a diffused circumlocutory manner of expressing a known idea, which should be so mysteriously couched, as to give the reader the pleasure of guessing what it is,
Similar: periphrastic, verbose, circuitous, circumlocuitous, circumlocutious, circumlocutional, circumlocutionary

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MLA

"circumlocutory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/circumlocutory. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

circumlocutory. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/circumlocutory

Chicago

"circumlocutory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/circumlocutory.

BibTeX

@misc{circumlocutory_2026,
  title = {circumlocutory},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/circumlocutory},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}