ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Periphrastic

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˌpɛ.ɹɪˈfɹæ.stik/ · Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Periphrastic is an adjective meaning Expressed in more words than are necessary.

Meaning

Expressed in more words than are necessary.

More Meanings

  1. Indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory.
  2. (grammar) Characterized by periphrasis.

Example Sentences

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.
“The daughter of the man” may be used as a periphrastic synonym for “the man’s daughter”.
As poetry it does not measure up to Aasen; as translation it is periphrastic, arbitrary, not at all faithful.

Word Forms

Synonyms for periphrastic

Depending on context, synonyms include ambagious, circumlocutory, circumlocutious.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include circumlocutory, circumlocutious, ambagious, causative, overexplicit, expletive.

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.