periphrastic

/pəˈrɪfræstɪk/

indirect wording

He gave a periphrastic answer instead of saying 'no' directly.

He answered indirectly rather than saying 'no' outright.

formaltechnical

Using more words than necessary to express an idea; indirect or roundabout phrasing.

The legal document employed periphrastic language to avoid ambiguity.

The contract used indirect wording to be clear.

In everyday speech we prefer concise statements, but academic writing often becomes periphrastic.

We like short sentences, but scholarly texts can be wordy.

Common in legal, academic, and literary contexts; may be seen as verbose.

English Dictionary