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Periphrasis

/pəˈɹɪfɹəsɪs/

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".

📖 Definitions of "Periphrasis"

noun

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".
2
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"."
3
The substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name (a species of circumlocution).
4
The use of a proper name as a shorthand to stand for qualities associated with it.

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