Periphrasis
/pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/noun
A roundabout way of expressing something using more words than necessary.
Did you know?In rhetoric, periphrasis can deliberately avoid a blunt name, while in grammar it describes constructions such as “will go” instead of a single-word future form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bha-
“To speak or utter; the proposed ancient root behind several speech-related words.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phrázō
“I explain, tell, point out, or express.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phrásis
“Speech, expression, or manner of speaking.”
Classical Greek
Greek
períphrasis
“A speaking around; circumlocution.”
Late Latin
Latin
periphrasis
“Circumlocution or an indirect expression, borrowed from Greek.”
16th Century
English
periphrasis
“A roundabout expression or rhetorical circumlocution.”
Modern English
English
periphrasis
“The use of more words than necessary to express an idea, often for rhetorical effect.”