Definition of: circumlocution

(sûr′kəm·lō·ky′shən) noun
Indirect or round–about expression; the use of superfluous words. [<L circumlocutio, -onis <circum- around + locutio speaking <loqui speak]
—cir·cum·loc·u·tory (sûr′kəm·lok′yə·tôr′ē, -tō′rē) adjective Synonyms (noun): diffuseness, periphrasis, pleonasm, prolixity, redundance, redundancy, surplusage, tautology, tediousness, verbiage, verbosity, wordiness. Circumlocution is the more common, periphrasis the more technical word. Diffuseness is a scattering both of words and thought; redundance or redundancy is an overflow. Prolixity goes into endless petty details, without selection or perspective. Pleonasm may be an emphatic, tautology is a useless repetition of a word or words. "I saw it with my eyes" is a pleonasm; "all the members agreed unanimously" is tautology. Verbiage is the use of mere words without thought. Verbosity and wordiness denote an excess of words in proportion to the thought. Antonyms: brevity, compactness, conciseness, condensation, directness, succinctness, terseness.