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
Alina Selyukh, NPR, 13 May 2024
Whether a star went literal with garden inspirations or explored a more circuitous style path with their Met Gala attire, the night’s best looks shared a common thread of elegance blended with a splash or ethereal, impeccable tailoring or full-on drama.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for circuitous 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circuitous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Circuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuitous. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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