circuitous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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"
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Grade 12, List 3
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This Week In Culture: October 26–November 1, 2019
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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.
But the circuitous route she takes now has increased that trip to at least 25 minutes, she said, prompting her to cut her sessions from five days a week to three.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Hernández took a circuitous route to the ball, trying to cut it off and then having to adjust back when it became clear he was too shallow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
But Omsk lies nearly 1,500 miles away in a straight line, and the drones flying there had to take a longer, more circuitous route to avoid air defenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
We go on a short hike while Yarvin, who looks like an ageing punk rocker, speaks in circuitous, long-winded yarns that reference esoteric texts and periods of history to prove his points.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Later, she would drive herself and the children, taking the most circuitous route possible.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
