(n.) The use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language; a periphrase.
Example Sentences:
(1) His avoidance of the circumlocutions favoured by most politicians led to a popular misconception that he is a straight shooter.
(2) Anomic aphasics produced the fewest phonemic errors and the most multiword circumlocutions; this pattern suggests minimal word-production difficulty in anomic aphasia relative to the other aphasia syndromes.
(3) On several occasions, when the patient failed to name a picture which happened to be lexicalized by a polysemous word, a residual covert word form could still operate as a link between different meanings of the target word; then, the patient produces a word or a circumlocution related to one meaning which was not the illustrated meaning.
(4) Semantically-related errors and circumlocutions characterized the naming of aphasic and demented patients, while phonemic errors were common only in aphasics.
(5) In addition, the relative distribution of the three most prominent naming errors-phonemic errors, semantic errors, and multiword circumlocutions-tended to distinguish the two anomic subgroups from the other aphasia subgroups.
(6) When subjects did not respond correctly to phonemic cueing, a significantly greater number of phonemic errors were produced, with a concurrent decline in related words and extended circumlocutions.
(7) With increasing age subjects produced more circumlocutions and fewer semantic errors.
(8) Behind these circumlocutions and evasions lie the unmistakable reality that this republican coronation puts an end to the hopes that were generated by the biggest upheaval of the Arab spring.
(9) Mr Micawber was a kindly man, albeit one given to circumlocution and financial mismanagement.
(10) He has mastered the art of never mentioning the treasurer's name in public, exhausting every possible circumlocution.
(11) Semantic errors (i.e., circumlocutions, semantically related associates, and nominalizations) and perceptual errors increase with age.
(12) Data for the parameter of semantics revealed a significantly greater occurrence of hesitations than circumlocutions, verbal paraphasias, or revisions.
Tergiversate
Definition:
(v. i.) To shift; to practice evasion; to use subterfuges; to shuffle.
Example Sentences:
(1) His writings writhed and ached with twists and turns and tergiversations, inept words, fanciful repetitions, far-fetched verbosity and long, Latin-based words."