verbiage

American  

[vur-bee-ij] / ˈvɜr bi ɪdʒ /

noun

1. overabundance or superfluity of words, as in writing or speech; wordiness; verbosity.

2. manner or style of expressing something in words; wording.

   a manual of official verbiage.

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verbiage British  

/ ˈvɜːbɪɪdʒ /

noun

1. the excessive and often meaningless use of words; verbosity

2. rare diction; wording

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Etymology

Origin of verbiage

First recorded in 1715–25; from French, from Middle French verbi(er) “to gabble” (also guerbloier, verboier, werbler, with a change in spelling by association with verbe “word,” from Germanic; see verb, warble ¹ ( def. )) + -age -age

Explanation

Verbiage is what it sounds like — a lot of words: verbs, nouns, adjectives and all the other parts of speech. Usually, verbiage means a few too many words — like the excessive verbiage in a legal document. Verbiage comes from the 18th-century French verbier, meaning "to chatter." Verbiage can mean just the words being used to communicate, or a bunch of empty words used to obscure communication. Someone long-winded might receive a sarcastic "compliment" about his verbiage, while another speaker might receive genuine applause for intelligent verbiage, or choice of words.

Example Sentences

A blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Viognier from Santa Barbara County, the 2013 Verbiage has a lovely floral perfume and silky texture.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2015

Verbiage in price protection terms and conditions spells out pretty specifically that the protection won’t apply for sales in which the retailer advertises a limited supply.

From Time • Nov. 21, 2011

As it turns out, you've come down to us as the Age of Verbiage.

From You Don't Make Wine Like the Greeks Did by Fisher, David E.

Verbiage is the use of mere words without thought.

From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin