periphrastic UK /ˌpɛ.ɹɪˈfɹæ.stɪk/US /ˌpɛ.ɹəˈfɹæ.stɪk/ adjective3 •Expressed in more words than are necessary.He wrote a periphrastic love letter to his wife to patch up their relationship.She was simply asked to express how she felt, but her response was periphrastic. •Indirect in naming an entity; circumlocutory.In writing, they deem it irreverent to express the Supreme Being [and] in conversation they generally use a periphrastic epithet, such as the All-Good. — 1871 •Characterized by periphrasis.“The daughter of the man” may be used as a periphrastic synonym for “the man’s daughter”.
