Prolix
/ˈproʊ.lɪks/noun
Using too many words; long-winded or tediously extended.
Did you know?Prolix comes from Latin *prolixus*, originally meaning “extended” or “stretched out,” from *pro-* (“forward”) + *licere* (“to let loose, extend”), so its modern sense of over-spilling language is built into the root itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leik-
“to leave, let remain, or be left over”
Latin
Latin
prolixus
“extended, stretched out, long”
Late Latin
Latin
prolixus
“copious, diffuse in speech or writing”
Old French
Old French
prolixe
“long, lengthy, diffuse”
Middle English
English
prolix
“long-winded, tediously extended”
Modern English
English
prolix
“using too many words; verbose”