Circumlocution

Circumlocution is the use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive. It often involves indirect language or roundabout ways of expressing something, skirting the main point instead of addressing it directly. This stylistic choice can stem from various motivations, including a desire to avoid confrontation, to be polite, to obfuscate, or simply from a lack of clarity in one's own thoughts. Essentially, it's talking around a subject without directly confronting it, and can sometimes be considered a form of verbose, roundabout, or evasive communication. It contrasts with concise and direct communication. A speaker employing Circumlocution may provide lengthy descriptions, analogies, or digressions rather than straightforward answers or statements, to prolong communication

Circumlocution meaning with examples

• Instead of directly rejecting the proposal, the manager engaged in Circumlocution, providing a long explanation about market conditions, resource constraints, and potential future benefits while never explicitly saying 'no'. The team understood the message, but appreciated the attempt to be polite and avoid a harsh rejection.
• When questioned about his whereabouts on the night of the crime, the suspect used Circumlocution, offering a detailed account of his day, mentioning every acquaintance he had seen, and describing his journey with excessive precision, but strategically avoiding the crucial period.
• The politician employed skillful Circumlocution in answering journalists' questions about a controversial policy, choosing abstract language and hypothetical scenarios to evade direct responses and maintain a veneer of openness without actually revealing his position on the issue.
• In the formal setting of court, the lawyer used Circumlocution, painstakingly elaborating on precedents, legal jargon, and complex procedural nuances in order to delay the hearing and confuse the opposing counsel, rather than making a decisive legal argument.
• The student, wanting to avoid a failing grade, gave an overlong and unnecessarily detailed answer on the exam, full of Circumlocution, attempting to distract from the core of the question and hoping to earn some partial credit.
• Trying to find the toilet in a new building, I asked someone where it was. He replied: 'Follow the corridor and walk 50 feet. You will find a set of stairs and a sign that tells you what is going to happen. When you see the sign, climb the stairs, and then turn right.' This is circumlocution.
• I find it a bit rude when someone tries to hide the truth. If I ask someone 'Why were you late?', and they start: 'Well, the road was slippery and the car was going slowly, and there was an accident in the previous street. I could do nothing', I understand that this is circumlocution.
• I have a friend that does a lot of circumlocution. When I ask him 'How was the party last night?', he answers: 'It was in a club, there was a lot of people, I was seeing many faces. They had great music, which you like. It was a funny party, that's it. How was your day?'. This is a Circumlocution, because it doesn't answer my question.