circuitous
adjective
Did you know?
If you guessed that circuitous is related to circuit, you're right—both words come from Latin circuitus, the past participle of the verb circumire, meaning "to go around." Circumire is derived, in turn, from Latin circum, meaning "around," plus ire, which means "to go." Other circum descendants making the rounds in English include circumference ("the perimeter of a circle"), circumvent (one meaning of which is "to make a circuit around"), circumlocution ("the act of 'talking around' a subject"), and circumnavigate ("to go around"). There's also the prefix circum-, which means "around" or "about," and the familiar word circumstance, which describes a condition or event that "stands around" another.
Examples of circuitous in a Sentence
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
But like a pint-sized Ulysses, George never stays in one place for long on his circuitous route home.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Virgo Rising The next month or two might amount to a bit of a homecoming for you, but finding your way back to baseline might require taking a pretty circuitous route through your family photo albums, childhood memories, and old addresses.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2024
The results of that sampling would arrive after a delayed and circuitous route — it was posted on a public server briefly and then later published — into the hands of Western scientists.
—Gabriel Spitzer, NPR, 19 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuitous. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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