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cir·cum·lo·cu·tion
 circumlocution
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- pronunciation:
- suhr
k
 m
lo
kyu
shn
- features:
- Word Combinations (noun), Word Parts
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
the use of roundabout, indirect, or evasive language in speech or writing.
He filled his essay with circumlocution in an attempt to fill up five pages on a topic he knew little about.- synonyms:
- periphrasis
- similar words:
- pleonasm, verbiage
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| definition 2: |
a roundabout or indirect expression.
- synonyms:
- indirection, periphrasis
- similar words:
- digression, newspeak, tautology
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| related words: |
ambiguity, double-talk |
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| derivation: |
circumlocutory (adj.) |
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