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

Republican attorneys general in Kansas and Missouri, who led the legal challenges against SAVE, argue that President Joe Biden is essentially trying to find a roundabout way to forgive student debt after the Supreme Court blocked its sweeping debt cancellation plan in June 2023. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2024

Given Advance Colorado’s conservative background, Democrats have accused the group of running the ballot measure as a roundabout way of reducing government spending on existing programs. —Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2024

Noun

Jeremy Cashman, Carmel's chief infrastructure officer, said his department measured the speeds of vehicles entering and exiting roundabouts throughout the city. —Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Oct. 2024

Cincinnati Enquirer The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet advises motorists that all lanes are blocked at the KY 8/KY 9 roundabout in Campbell County, due to an overturned commercial vehicle. —The Enquirer, 13 Aug. 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