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Glite Dictionary
circuitousness

circuitousness

9.2
Being indirect and not easy to follow
  • noun
  • /sɜrˈkjutəsnəs/
translation icon : indirectitud
  • Her circuitousness in explaining the topic confused many of her classmates.

Examples

  • The circuitousness of the hiking trail made the journey longer than expected.

  • The roundabout's aesthetic appeal is founded on a displaced identification with Charles's perpetual circuitousness.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The traffic's circuitousness prevented us from reaching the city on time.

Synonyms

indirection
vscircuitousness
2 8.8

Saying or doing things in a roundabout way instead of being direct

is a general state of roundabout approach, not specifically method or evasion
indirectness
vscircuitousness
1 6.1

Not saying something clearly to avoid offending someone or to hide the real meaning

is about being roundabout in general rather than lacking goal direction
obliqueness
vscircuitousness
8.9

Not saying things in a direct, clear way

is about taking a roundabout route or approach rather than unclear phrasing

Antonyms

straightforwardness
1 5.0

Being direct and honest without hiding what you think

How Indirect

circuitousness
9.2
indirectness
1 6.1
evasiveness
3 7.4

Surface Forms

circuitousness singular
circuitousnesses plural

Morphology

circuitousness = circuitous (transparent) = circuit + ous + ness

Formed by straightforward nominalization of the adjective 'circuitous' with '-ness' to indicate the quality of being roundabout.

Etymology

Circuitousness comes from the Latin part circum, which means 'around', and from circuit, a path that goes in a circle. So circuitousness is the way of going 'around' rather than 'straight', which is why it means 'indirect' or 'roundabout'.