periphrasis
nounCA, UK, US /pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/
Etymology From Ancient Greek περίφρασις (períphrasis).
1
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".
- Near-synonyms: circumlocution, loquaciousness
2
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Expressing a grammatical meaning (such as a tense) using a syntactic construction rather than morphological marking.
- 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".
3
Rhetoric The 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 37:
- The "glen," or the "brake of the lion," is Pindar's favourite periphrasis for Nemea.1879, F. D. Morice, Pindar, chapter 4, page 63:
4
Rhetoric The use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it.
- Related terms
- periphrase, periphrastic