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Expressed in more words than are necessary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- He wrote a periphrastic love letter to his wife to patch up their relationship.
- She was simply asked to express how she felt, but her response was periphrastic.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Characterized by periphrasis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
Examples
- “The daughter of the man” may be used as a periphrastic synonym for “the man’s daughter”.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
roundabout and unnecessarily wordy-T.S.Eliot; (`ambagious' is archaic)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- had a preference for circumlocutious (or circumlocutory) rather than forthright expression
- A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion,/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle/ With words and meanings.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: circumlocutious, circumlocutory, ambagious
Antonyms: none provided
Borrowed from Ancient Greek περιφραστικός (periphrastikós), from περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Bulgarian:
многословен
(mnogosloven)
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Catalan:
perifràstic
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Dutch:
perifrastisch
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Dutch:
uitvoerig
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Dutch:
omschrijvend
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
French:
périphrastique
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Greek:
περιφραστικός
(perifrastikós)
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Hungarian:
szószaporító
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Portuguese:
perifrástico
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Russian:
многосло́вный
(mnogoslóvnyj)
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Spanish:
perifrástico
— expressed in more words than are necessary
-
Bulgarian:
заобиколен
(zaobikolen)
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Bulgarian:
иносказателен
(inoskazatelen)
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Dutch:
perifrastisch
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Dutch:
uitvoerig
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Dutch:
omschrijvend
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Greek:
περιφραστικός
(perifrastikós)
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Hungarian:
körülírt
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Hungarian:
körülírásos
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Russian:
иносказа́тельный
(inoskazátelʹnyj)
— indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory
-
Bulgarian:
описателен
(opisatelen)
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Catalan:
perifràstic
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Dutch:
perifrastisch
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Dutch:
uitvoerig
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Dutch:
omschrijvend
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Finnish:
perifrastinen
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
French:
périphrastique
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Greek:
περιφραστικός
(perifrastikós)
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Hungarian:
körülírt
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Hungarian:
körülírásos
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Hungarian:
körülírással kifejezett/szerkesztett
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Portuguese:
perifrástico
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Spanish:
perifrástico
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution
-
Welsh:
periffrastig
— grammar: characterized by periphrase or circumlocution