roundabout

American  

[round-uh-bout, round-uh-bout, round-uh-bout] / ˌraʊnd əˈbaʊt, ˈraʊnd əˌbaʊt, ˈraʊnd əˌbaʊt /

adjective

1. circuitous or indirect, as a road, journey, method, statement or person.

   Synonyms:

   tortuous, rambling

2. (of clothing) cut circularly at the bottom; having no tails, train, or the like.

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noun

1. a short, close-fitting coat or jacket worn by men or boys, especially in the 19th century.

2. British. a merry-go-round.

3. a circuitous or indirect road, method, etc.

4. Chiefly British. traffic circle.

roundabout British  

/ ˈraʊndəˌbaʊt /

noun

1. a revolving circular platform provided with wooden animals, seats, etc, on which people ride for amusement; merry-go-round

2. US and Canadian name: traffic circle.  a road junction in which traffic streams circulate around a central island

3. an informal name for boring mill

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adjective

1. indirect or circuitous; devious

adverb

1. on all sides

   spectators standing round about

2. approximately

   at round about 5 o'clock

Etymology

Origin of roundabout

1525–35; round ¹ (adv.) + about

Explanation

A roundabout is an intersection that uses a circular junction instead of stoplights or stop signs to manage traffic flow. Instead of every car stopping, they enter the roundabout slowly, and traffic moves almost continuously. In the UK, an amusement park ride that moves in a circle, like a carousel, is also a roundabout, but in North America this noun almost always means what's sometimes called a "traffic circle" or a "rotary." As an adjective, roundabout describes things that aren't straightforward, but are indirect or unclear: "After his roundabout confession, I'm not even sure he realizes what he did wrong."

Example Sentences

“This is such a roundabout, long-winded way of doing a rejection,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

The main house featured an elaborate sculpture of a stallion trampling a dragon in the roundabout out front.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

A wheelchair swing and a wheelchair-accessible roundabout were also added in an attempt to create a "community centre without walls".

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

But Madrid's imposing Victory Arch, built in the 1950s on a busy roundabout to celebrate the victory of Franco's fascist-backed nationalists in the 1936-1939 civil war, is a standout example of the symbols that linger.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

They drove all the way out to the farthest fields, to a little roundabout at the very end of the driveway.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown