circuitous
adjective
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In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the titular hero Bilbo Baggins takes a circuitous route to the Lonely Mountain, which he helps to reclaim from a monstrous dragon. Although he successfully arrives there—and returns home again—we do not use the adjective circuitous to suggest that his path traces a perfect circle. We’ll get straight to it: although both circuitous and its relative circuit share roots in circus, the Latin word for “circle” (and ancestor of the English words circle and circus), neither need conjure something shaped like, say, a ring. Just as the noun circuit can refer to an indirect route, circuitous describes routes which can appear circular when mapped, but can also be jagged, squiggly, etc. The point is that a journey such as Bilbo’s is not straight, short, or direct, but rather rambling. When used figuratively, circuitous describes something that is not said or done simply and clearly; an example might be a rambling speech about manners in dangerous situations when a direct “Never laugh at live dragons” would suffice.
Examples of circuitous in a Sentence
Mitchell Newberry, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, the Gators’ stellar three-man starting backcourt features players who followed circuitous paths to UF.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2025
But five challenging and circuitous seasons later, Sale finally got a chance to deliver something closely resembling the best-case scenario — and all but cemented his Cooperstown candidacy in the process.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Choi’s path to breaking was as circuitous as the sport’s path was to Paris.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuitous. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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