periphrastic
UK /ˌpɛ.ɹɪˈfɹæ.stɪk/ · US /ˌpɛ.ɹəˈfɹæ.stɪk/ adjective
Forms periphrasic
- adjective Expressed in more words than are necessary. “He wrote a periphrastic love letter to his wife to patch up their relationship.”
- adjective Indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory.
- adjective (grammar) Characterized by periphrasis. ““The daughter of the man” may be used as a periphrastic synonym for “the man’s daughter”.”
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek περιφραστικός (periphrastikós), from περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Expressing, or expressed, in more words than are necessary; characterized by periphrase; circumlocutory. Periphrastic conjugation (Gram.), a conjugation formed by the use of the simple verb with one or more auxiliaries.
Etymology [Gr. périphrastique.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “periphrastic”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details