Word of the Day

: September 9, 2008

circumlocution

noun ser-kum-loh-KYOO-shun

What It Means

1 : the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea

2 : evasion in speech

circumlocution in Context

Mr. Harvey was notorious for his tendency to engage in endless circumlocution when a simple, brief explanation would suffice.

Did You Know?

In The King's English, grammarian H.W. Fowler advised, "Prefer the single word to the circumlocution." Alas, that good advice was not followed by the framers of "circumlocution." They actually used two terms in forming that word for unnecessarily verbose prose or speech. But their choices were apt; "circumlocution" derives from the Latin "circum-," meaning "around," and "locutio," meaning "speech" -- so it literally means "roundabout speech." Since the 15th century, English writers have used "circumlocution" with disdain, naming a thing to stop, or better yet, to avoid altogether. Charles Dickens even used it to satirize political runarounds when he created the fictional Circumlocution Office, a government department that delayed the dissemination of information and just about everything else.