roundabout

1 of 2

adjective

round·​about ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t 

: circuitous, indirect

had to take a roundabout route

roundaboutness noun

roundabout

2 of 2

noun

1

: a circuitous route : detour

2

British : merry-go-round

3

: a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century

4

: rotary sense 2

Synonyms

Adjective

• circuitous
• circular
• indirect

Examples of roundabout in a Sentence

Adjective

He took a roundabout route to town.

In a roundabout way, he told me that my help was not wanted.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The ruling itself could be a win for Trump in a roundabout way, as his judicial nominees, especially Justice Neil Gorsuch, who has long opposed Chevron, would be largely responsible. —Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 June 2024

All of which is a roundabout way of saying the 2024 monsoon season begins Saturday. —Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 10 June 2024

Noun

This week, the City Council authorized a study to figure out how to do just that — while adding more speed bumps, roundabouts and other street modifications to reduce speeding and unsafe driving. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024

At heart, In a Violent Nature isn’t an art film playing on horror tropes but something like the inverse: a pitiless old-school slasher that simply takes a roundabout and rather scenic path to the usual scuzzy thrills. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

roundabout

adjective

round·​about

ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t

: not direct

went a roundabout way