elliptical

American  

[ih-lip-ti-kuhl] / ɪˈlɪp tɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or having the form of an ellipse.

2. pertaining to or marked by grammatical ellipsis.

3. (of speech or writing) expressed with extreme or excessive economy; relieved of irrelevant matter.

   to converse in elliptical sentences.

4. (of a style of speaking or writing) tending to be ambiguous, cryptic, or obscure.

   an elliptical prose that is difficult to translate.

---

noun

1. Astronomy. elliptical galaxy.

elliptical British  

/ ɪˈlɪptɪkəl /

adjective

1. relating to or having the shape of an ellipse

2. relating to or resulting from ellipsis

3. 1. very condensed or concise, often so as to be obscure or ambiguous

   2. circumlocutory or long-winded

---

Usage

The use of elliptical to mean circumlocutory should be avoided as it may be interpreted wrongly as meaning condensed or concise

Other Word Forms

• elliptically adverb
• ellipticalness noun
• nonelliptic adjective
• nonelliptical adjective
• nonelliptically adverb
• overelliptical adjective
• overelliptically adverb
• subelliptic adjective
• subelliptical adjective
• unelliptical adjective

Etymology

Origin of elliptical

1650–60; < Greek elleiptik ( ós ) defective ( see ellipsis, -tic) + -al ¹

Explanation

The word elliptical is derived from the oval shape known as an ellipse. Many comets have an elliptical orbit around the Sun that brings them closer at some times and farther away at others. The adjective elliptical refers to the shape of an ellipse, which is an elongated circle, stretched into an oval. This word can also be used to describe a way of speaking that cuts out extra, unnecessary language. When writers use an elliptical style, it sometimes makes the work obscure and hard to interpret.

Example Sentences

Published when its author was 28 years old, the slim, elliptical volume played a central role in Camus winning the Nobel Prize for literature at a time when that distinction still meant something.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

After making a dinner one night, the ring asked whether I’d been on the elliptical.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Some exoplanets follow highly elliptical orbits, meaning the amount of heat they receive from their star changes significantly over time.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

The Moon does not orbit the earth in a perfect circle but has more of an egg-shaped, elliptical orbit.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2025

If the earth had been a flat disk, the shadow would have been elongated and elliptical, unless the eclipse always occurred at a time when the sun was directly under the center of the disk.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking