# circumlocution

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌsɜːkəmləˈkjuːʃən/

## Definitions
1. A roundabout or indirect way of speaking; thus
2. A roundabout or indirect way of speaking; thus:
3. A roundabout or indirect way of speaking; thus:
4. An instance of such usage; a roundabout expression, whether an inadvisable one or a necessary one.

## Etymology
From Latin circumlocūtiō (“the act of speaking around; circumlocution, periphrasis”). By surface analysis, circum- (“around”) + locution (“talk”), thus "getting around (a problem) in speaking or writing". Probably a calque of Ancient Greek περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/circumlocution