# periphrasis

> English word · Noun · IPA /pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/

## Definitions
1. The use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".
2. Expressing a grammatical meaning (such as a tense) using a syntactic construction rather than morphological marking.
3. The substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a type of circumlocution).
4. The use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek περίφρασις (períphrasis).

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