roundabout
Americanadjective
noun
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roundabouts
plural
-
a short, close-fitting coat or jacket worn by men or boys, especially in the 19th century.
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British. a merry-go-round.
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a circuitous or indirect road, method, etc.
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Chiefly British. traffic circle.
noun
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a revolving circular platform provided with wooden animals, seats, etc, on which people ride for amusement; merry-go-round
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US and Canadian name: traffic circle. a road junction in which traffic streams circulate around a central island
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an informal name for boring mill
adjective
adverb
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on all sides
spectators standing round about
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approximately
at round about 5 o'clock
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of roundabout
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Police detained six activists who had draped Greenpeace protest banners from a monument on Jakarta's central Bundaran HI roundabout on Tuesday morning, before the student marches, according to Jeanny Sirait, a campaigner for the NGO.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
In 2012, Love also attended the dedication of a $2.4 million roundabout project in the area, which was designed to improve road safety while supporting efforts to protect the lake’s water quality.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Oh, my God, it’s hard,” he said of the chaotic roundabout circling the monument.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
It’s sometimes a combination of trying all of these different roundabout mechanisms to try to confirm that these folks were, in fact, still in detention and where I left them, more or less.
From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2026
Randolph in his own roundabout way had come over to support ratification, so he needed to counter Masons apprehensions about slavery.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Probably not, but there's swings and roundabouts with all of these things isn't there?
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
Today, bicycles and bright yellow three-wheeled "keke" taxis flit along paved streets or new highway flyovers direct traffic over packed roundabouts.
From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2025
Inside the centers—often large tents near traffic roundabouts, or rooms inside municipal buildings—there are beds to sleep on and toys for children to play with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
But London’s mix of Medieval alleyways, Victorian terraces and modern roundabouts are set to pose a new challenge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
Working his way hurriedly through the alleys, circles, roundabouts, and barriers, he found himself trapped in a dead end, deadlocked and defeated.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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