periphrastic
[ per-uh-fras-tik ]
/ ˌpɛr əˈfræs tɪk /
adjective
circumlocutory; roundabout.
Grammar. noting a construction of two or more words having the same syntactic function as an inflected word, as of Mr. Smith in the son of Mr. Smith, which is equivalent to Mr. Smith's in Mr. Smith's son.
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Origin of periphrastic
OTHER WORDS FROM periphrastic
per·i·phras·ti·cal·ly, adverbun·per·i·phras·tic, adjectiveun·per·i·phras·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby periphrastic
peripheral vision, peripheric, periphery, periphlebitis, periphrasis, periphrastic, periphyton, periplasm, periporitis, periproct, periproctitis
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for periphrastic
British Dictionary definitions for periphrastic
periphrastic
/ (ˌpɛrɪˈfræstɪk) /
adjective
employing or involving periphrasis
expressed in two or more words rather than by an inflected form of one: used esp of a tense of a verb where the alternative element is an auxiliary verb. For example, He does go and He will go involve periphrastic tenses
Derived forms of periphrastic
periphrastically, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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