circuitous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- circuitously adverb
- circuitousness noun
- noncircuitous adjective
- noncircuitously adverb
- noncircuitousness noun
- uncircuitous adjective
- uncircuitously adverb
- uncircuitousness noun
Etymology
Origin of circuitous
1655–65; < Medieval Latin circuitōsus, equivalent to circuit ( us ) circuit + -ōsus -ous
Explanation
Circuitous means indirect or roundabout. If you're already late for school, you'll want to take the straightest, fastest way there, not a circuitous one! Circuitous comes from the Latin word circuitus meaning "a going around." If you're being circuitous it's like you're going around and around in circles. It can also refer to someone's manner or speech, if they are not being direct. For example, if you want someone to get you another piece of cake, but just you sit there looking longingly at your empty plate and talking about how delicious cake is, then you're being circuitous. And annoying.
Vocabulary lists containing circuitous
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 12, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Culture: October 26–November 1, 2019
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In that case, exchanges like Coinbase and Robinhood say they can’t trace back the cost basis because of the holding’s circuitous route.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026
But they require circuitous arrangements and typically leave Chinese AI developers with fewer chips and more inconvenience compared with well-funded American competitors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
People travelling between Al-Eizariya and Jerusalem would have to take a circuitous route three times longer than the present journey, he said.
From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025
A thickly bearded 25-year-old right-hander originally from Bloomington, Ind., Klein’s path to Monday’s extra-inning marathon could hardly have been more circuitous.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2025
We take a circuitous route back to the ten o’clock beach.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
