Standard Lemma guide

periphrastic

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌpɛ.ɹɪˈfɹæ.stik/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /ˌpɛ.ɹəˈfɹæ.stɪk/
  • rhymes with -æstɪk

1

adj

Meaning 1

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

2

adj

Meaning 2

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

3

adj

Meaning 3

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

History

Etymology

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