periphrasis
/pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.17 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Expressing a grammatical meaning (such as a tense) using a syntactic construction rather than morphological marking.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a type of circumlocution).
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Near-synonyms: circumlocution, loquaciousness"
- "Language learners sometimes use periphrases like "did go" where a native speaker would use "went"."
- "Native speakers use periphrases like "did not go" where a language learner might use "went not"."
- "Periphrasis a single thought expands, And uses many words for what but few demands."
- "The "glen," or the "brake of the lion," is Pindar's favourite periphrasis for Nemea."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek περίφρασις (períphrasis).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/
- British English: /pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/