circumlocution

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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🗓️ 17 April 2024

⏱️ 2 minutes

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Summary

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 17, 2024 is:

circumlocution • \ser-kum-loh-KYOO-shun\ • noun

Circumlocution refers to the use of many words to say something that could be said more clearly and directly with fewer words. Usually encountered in formal speech and writing, circumlocution can also refer to speech that is intentionally evasive.

// The judge coughed and pointed to her watch, clearly impatient with the attorney's tiresome circumlocutions in defense of his client.

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Examples:

“The slight stiltedness of her … English merges with the circumlocution of business-school lingo to produce phrases like ‘the most important aspect is to embrace a learning mind-set’ and ‘I believe we’re going to move forward in a positive way.’” — Noam Scheiber, The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2023

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In The King’s English (1906), lexicographers H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler advised, “Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.” It’s good advice: using more words than necessary to convey a point can confuse and annoy one’s audience. Circumlocution itself combines two Latin elements: the prefix circum-, meaning “around,” and locutio, meaning “speech.” In essence, circumlocution may be thought of as “roundabout speech.” Since at least the early 16th century, English writers have used circumlocution with disdain, naming a thing to stop, or better yet, to avoid altogether. Charles Dickens used the word to satirize political runarounds in the 1857 novel Little Dorrit with the creation of the fictional Circumlocution Office, a government department that delayed the dissemination of information and just about everything else.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's Merriam-Webster's word of the day for April 17th.
0:11.3	Today's word is circumlocution, spelled C-I-R-A-N-G-E-O-C-U-T-I-O-N. Circumlocution is a noun.
0:22.2	It refers to the use of many words to say something that could be said more clearly and directly with fewer words.
0:29.0	Usually encountered in formal speech and writing, Circumlocution can also refer to speech that is intentionally
0:36.4	evasive. Here's the word used in a sentence from the New York Times by Noam Scheiber.
0:41.7	The slight stiltedness of her English merges with the circumlocution of business school
0:46.7	lingo to produce phrases like, the most important aspect is to embrace a learning mindset and I believe we're going to move forward in a positive way.
0:57.0	In The King's English, published in 1906, Lexicographers H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler advised,
1:07.0	prefer the single word to the circumlocution.
1:10.7	It's good advice.
1:11.8	Using more words than necessary to convey a point can confuse and annoy one's audience.
1:17.0	Circumlocution itself combines two Latin elements, the prefix Kirkum meaning around and locutio meaning speech.
1:27.2	In essence, circumlocution may be thought of as roundabout speech.
1:32.2	Since at least the early 16th century English writers have used
1:35.9	circumlocution with disdain naming a thing to stop or better yet to avoid
1:40.9	altogether. Charles Dickens used the word to satirize political
1:45.8	runarounds in the 1857 novel Little Dorrit, with the creation of the fictional
1:51.7	Circumlocution Office,
1:53.8	a government department that delayed the dissemination of information
1:57.9	and just about everything else.
2:00.3	With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokoloski.
2:06.0	Visit Marion Webster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.
	...

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