circuitous
adjective
Did you know?
If you guessed that circuitous is related to circuit, you're right—both words come from Latin circuitus, the past participle of the verb circumire, meaning "to go around." Circumire is derived, in turn, from Latin circum, meaning "around," plus ire, which means "to go." Other circum descendants making the rounds in English include circumference ("the perimeter of a circle"), circumvent (one meaning of which is "to make a circuit around"), circumlocution ("the act of 'talking around' a subject"), and circumnavigate ("to go around"). There's also the prefix circum-, which means "around" or "about," and the familiar word circumstance, which describes a condition or event that "stands around" another.
Examples of circuitous in a Sentence
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024
As the country has carved a circuitous path toward justice and commemoration, ESMA has emerged as a central symbol of that historical reckoning.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
The other issue—which in a circuitous manner helped establish the Durston mythos—was product availability, or, more accurately, a lack thereof.
—M. John Fayhee, Outside Online, 28 Nov. 2024
In 2025, however, North Americans eager to see the majestic fjords, awe-inspiring icebergs, and incandescent northern lights on the world’s largest and least densely populated island can take a less circuitous route.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for circuitous 
Articles Related to circuitous
Dictionary Entries Near circuitous
Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuitous. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share