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I use circumlocution too often, and instead of getting my point across, I tend to babble.
Genevieve Padalecki

Meaning of "circumlocution" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF CIRCUMLOCUTION

circumlocution  [ˌsɜːkəmləˈkjuːʃən] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CIRCUMLOCUTION

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Circumlocution is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES CIRCUMLOCUTION MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Circumlocution

Circumlocution refers to an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech. Ambiguity means information that can have multiple meanings. For example, governmental income support to poor residents might be referred to as "welfare". Roundabout speech refers to using many words to describe something for which a concise expression exists. The vast majority of definitions found in dictionaries are circumlocutory. Circumlocution is often used by aphasics and people learning a new language, where in the absence of a word the subject can simply be described. Euphemism, innuendo, and equivocation are different types of ambiguous and roundabout language.

Definition of circumlocution in the English dictionary

The definition of circumlocution in the dictionary is an indirect way of expressing something. Other definition of circumlocution is an indirect expression.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CIRCUMLOCUTION


allocution
ˌæləˈkjuːʃən
attribution
ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃən
consecution
ˌkɒnsɪˈkjuːʃən
constitution
ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən
contribution
ˌkɒntrɪˈbjuːʃən
distribution
ˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃən
elocution
ˌɛləˈkjuːʃən
execution
ˌɛksɪˈkjuːʃən
illocution
ˌɪləˈkjuːʃən
inexecution
ɪnˌɛksɪˈkjuːʃən
institution
ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən
interlocution
ˌɪntəlɒˈkjuːʃən
locution
ləʊˈkjuːʃən
perlocution
ˌpɜːlɒˈkjuːʃən
persecution
ˌpɜːsɪˈkjuːʃən
prolocution
ˌprəʊləˈkjuːʃən
prosecution
ˌprɒsɪˈkjuːʃən
prostitution
ˌprɒstɪˈtjuːʃən
reconstitution
ˌriːkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən
substitution
ˌsʌbstɪˈtjuːʃən

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE CIRCUMLOCUTION

circumfusion
circumgyrate
circumgyration
circumgyratory
circumincession
circuminsession
circumjacency
circumjacent
circumlittoral
circumlocute
circumlocutory
circumlunar
circummure
circumnavigable
circumnavigate
circumnavigation
circumnavigator
circumnutate
circumnutation
circumnutatory

WORDS THAT END LIKE CIRCUMLOCUTION

absolution
accreditation
American Revolution
caution
dilution
diminution
dissolution
evolution
First Amendment of the Constitution
high resolution
high-resolution
New Year resolution
October Revolution
Poisson distribution
pollution
precaution
resolution
restitution
retribution
revolution
solution

Synonyms and antonyms of circumlocution in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «CIRCUMLOCUTION»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «circumlocution» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of circumlocution

Translation of «circumlocution» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF CIRCUMLOCUTION

Find out the translation of circumlocution to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of circumlocution from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «circumlocution» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

迂回
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

circunloquios
570 millions of speakers

English

circumlocution
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

असंगत
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

إطناب
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

волокита
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

circunlóquios
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

বাগাড়ম্বর
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

circonlocution
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Cermin mata
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Umschreibung
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

遠回しな表現
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

완곡
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Circumlocution
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

lời nói quanh co
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

சுற்றி வளைத்து
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

सर्दी
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

geçiştirme
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

circonlocuzione
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

circumlocution
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

тяганина
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

circumscriere
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

περίφραση
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

omskrywing
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

omsvep
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

circumlocution
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of circumlocution

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CIRCUMLOCUTION»

The term «circumlocution» is regularly used and occupies the 93.923 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
56
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «circumlocution» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of circumlocution
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «circumlocution».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CIRCUMLOCUTION» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «circumlocution» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «circumlocution» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about circumlocution

EXAMPLES

QUOTES WITH «CIRCUMLOCUTION»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word circumlocution.
1
Genevieve Padalecki
I use circumlocution too often, and instead of getting my point across, I tend to babble.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CIRCUMLOCUTION»

Discover the use of circumlocution in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to circumlocution and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Charles Dickens: A Critical Study
Then would he be there to tell that honourable gentleman that although the Circumlocution Office was invariably right, and wholly right, it never was so right as in this matter. Then would he be there to tell the honourable gentleman that it would ...
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 1906
2
Forensic Aspects of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Many patients with dementia have one or more of the following verbal manifestations of the disorder: circumlocution, confabulation, perseveration- echolalia, logorrhea, and tangential speech. They may oc- cur at any stage or level and are ...
Dennis C. Tanner, 2003
3
The Works of Charles Dickens
ting them), who in slow lapse of time and agony had passed safely through other public departments; who, according to rule, had been bullied in this, over- reached by that, and evaded by the other; got referred at last to the Circumlocution ...
Charles Dickens, 1908
4
The Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton: Chesterton on Dickens
Then perhaps he heard from the Government benches the immortal apologies of the Circumlocution Office. "Then would the noble lord or right honourable gentleman, in whose department it was to defend the Circumlocution Office, put an ...
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 1989
5
Books for Women
Containing the whole Science of Government *** The Circumlocution Office was ( as everybody knows without being told) the most important Department under Government. No public business of any kind could possibly be done at any time ...
ReadHowYouWant.com, Limited, Various, 2012
6
The Dickens Dictionary: A Key to the Characters and ...
Uncle of Mr. Tite Barnacle ; a windy peer, high in the Circumlocution Office. (Bk. I, ch. xxvii, xxv, xxxiv ; Bk. II, ch. vii, xxiv, xxviii.) The Circumlocution Office was (as everybody knows without being told) the most important department under ...
Gilbert Ashville Pierce, William Adolphus Wheeler, 1872
7
Liturgical Language: Keeping it Metaphoric, Making it Inclusive
Circumlocution Scholars of language call circumlocution a figure of speech that, rather than locating exactly, talks around. As if precision is impossible, circumlocution requires extra words to circle around, demarcating a perimeter rather than ...
Gail Ramshaw, 1996
8
The Living Age
on the subject. Its appointment was opposed by the Government — or, let us say, the Circumlocution Office — but was afterwards conceded. Before that Committee , the Circumlocution Office and Mr. Rowland Hill were perpetually in conflict on ...
9
Works. Repr. of the 1st eds., with intr. and notes by C. ...
to the Circumlocution Office, and never reappeared in the light of day. Boards sat upon them, secretaries minuted upon them, commissioners gabbled about them, clerks registered, entered, checked, and ticked them off, and they melted away.
Charles Dickens, 1857
10
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: Dictionary
circumloqui, speak roundabout, use circumlocution, {circum, around, + loqui, speak: see locution.] A roundabout way of speaking ; an indirect mode of statement; particularly, a studied indirectness or evasiveness of language in speaking or ...
William Dwight Whitney, 1906

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CIRCUMLOCUTION»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term circumlocution is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Re: Nkrumahism, The Can Of Worms I Opened–Noam Chomsky 1
Having said that, did Mr. Baidoo want to be taken serious with his emotionally unreliable, needless circumlocution and defective logic? «GhanaWeb, Jul 15»
2
Zardari's alleged wife Dr Tanveer Zamani dodged host when asked …
But again, she did neither reject nor admit the report and replied with circumlocution and redundancy. She said that it is against her dignity to ... «The News Teller, Jul 15»
3
Politics can cause the spiking of a story
Halperin's circumlocution shows the rot that pervades America's mainstream media. He cannot bring himself to say more than "they were not ... «NWAOnline, Jun 15»
4
How to Translate Spinglish
... and bequeathed us mostly polysyllabic (and often nicely evasive) formulations like “exterminate” and “circumlocution,” and the Anglo-Saxon, ... «Daily Beast, Jun 15»
5
Spike It! When the Media Kill a Story for Political Reasons
Halperin's circumlocution shows the rot that pervades America's mainstream media. He cannot bring himself to say more than “they were not ... «RealClearPolitics, Jun 15»
6
The Emergency at 40: you know the facts, now read the fiction
Besides a weak prime minister, there are conniving army men as well as bureaucrats adept at circumlocution. Into this mire steps in a dictator ... «Scroll.in, Jun 15»
7
US accomplice with Israel in N-talks spying raw
However, many mainstream media in the US base coverage of the issue on joint Washington and Tel Aviv circumlocution of the spying case, ... «Mehr News Agency - English Version, Jun 15»
8
A Proustian take on Harper's 'aspirational' goal
... too painful to contemplate, let alone achieve, in an age where circumlocution was more highly valued than straight talk and concrete deeds. «The Globe and Mail, Jun 15»
9
Tellers of teenage tales
... yomtovim and countless cultural/religious subtleties) wears its Jewishness - upfront, effortlessly and without glossary or circumlocution. At last ... «Jewish Chronicle, Jun 15»
10
What language do "boat people" speak?
While circumlocution like this may mislead, some are simply motivated by kindness. For example, Chinese people don't like being too direct in ... «The Daily Star, Jun 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Circumlocution [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/circumlocution>. May 2024 ».
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