Word a Day
circumlocution
What does circumlocution mean?
circumlocution (noun): a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you pronounce circumlocution?
/ˌsɝkəmləˈkjuʃən/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does circumlocution come from?
From Latin circumlocūtiō (“the act of speaking around; circumlocution, periphrasis”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “circumlocution”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “circumlocution” mean?
excessive or inordinate desire of gain; greed for wealth
Not quite: that's what avarice means.
a condition in which everything is regular and unvarying
Not quite: that's what uniformity means.
a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
Right! That's what “circumlocution” means.
a feeling of regret or sadness for doing wrong or sinning
Not quite: that's what remorse means.
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