Literature Glossary

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Over 200 literary terms, Shmooped to perfection.

Periphrasis

Definition:

Periphrasis, a.k.a. circumlocution, is what happens when you talk around something instead of just directly saying what that something is. For example, if we ask you to hand us that wooden, graphite-filled stick used for writing instead of asking you to hand us that pencil, that's periphrasis.

You're most likely to spot periphrasis in euphemisms and innuendo, with people learning a new language, and in that big book with all of the words and their definitions in alphabetical order.

You know, the dictionary.