Meanings
plural periphrases
- countableuncountableThe use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".
Near-synonyms: circumlocution, loquaciousness
Synonyms: circumlocution, loquaciousness
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesExpressing a grammatical meaning (such as a tense) using a syntactic construction rather than morphological marking.
Native speakers use periphrases like "did not go" where a language learner might use "went not".
1 more example
Language learners sometimes use periphrases like "did go" where a native speaker would use "went".
- countablerhetoricuncountableThe substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a type of circumlocution).
Periphrasis a single thought expands, And uses many words for what but few demands.
1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Figures.] Periphrasis.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 371 more example
The "glen," or the "brake of the lion," is Pindar's favourite periphrasis for Nemea.
1879, F. D. Morice, Pindar, chapter 4, page 63 - countablerhetoricuncountableThe use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one with a similar meaning, for example "I am going to" instead of "I will".
More synonyms by meaning
nouna style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπερίφρασις
- Englishperiphrasis
From Ancient Greek περίφρασις (períphrasis).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan perífrasi
- perífrasiuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Finnish perifraasi
- perifraasiuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
French périphrase
- périphraseuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Greek περίφραση
- περίφραση (perífrasi)use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Hungarian körülírás
- körülírásuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Italian perifrasi
- perifrasiuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Polish peryfraza
- peryfrazause of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Portuguese perífrase
- perífraseuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Russian перифра́з, перифра́за
- перифра́з (perifráz)use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
- перифра́за (perifráza)use of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Spanish perífrasis
- perífrasisuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Swedish perifras
- perifrasuse of a longer expression instead of a shorter one
Cite this entry
periphrasis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/periphrasis
“periphrasis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/periphrasis. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “periphrasis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/periphrasis.
Source: periphrasis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.