Periphrase
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈpɛɹi.fɹeɪz/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Periphrase is a noun meaning (rhetoric) The use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; a roundabout, or indirect, way of speaking; circumlocution.
Meaning
(rhetoric) The use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; a roundabout, or indirect, way of speaking; circumlocution.
More Meanings
- (transitive) To express by periphrase or circumlocution.
- (intransitive) To use circumlocution.
Example Sentences
1821, Thomas De Quincey, John Paul Frederick Richter (published in London Magazine To describe all those on whom the fates of Troy hinged , by enigmatic periphrases
He held up the condition of the Church in the terrible mirror of his unflinching speech, which called things by their right names and dealt in no polite periphrases[…]
Word Forms
- periphrases
- periphrasing
- periphrased
Synonyms for periphrase
Depending on context, synonyms include periphrasis.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include circumlocution, antiphrasis, ampliatio, symploce, periergia, palilogy.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.