periphrastic

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.

But it seems to this reader, Rebecca becoming Maud also speaks to the preoccupation of this entire book: the periphrastic construction of identity itself.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2022

He misrepresents, distorts, bisects sentences and employs periphrastic phrases to make his points.

From Time Magazine Archive

Blackburied: The meaning of this is not very clear, but it is probably a periphrastic and picturesque way of indicating damnation.

From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Purves, D. Laing

The auxiliaries of the periphrastic conjugation are almost the only verbs that have been preserved belonging to the simple primitive system.

From Basque Legends With an Essay on the Basque Language by Webster, Wentworth

Worthy sir," said Tomkins, in a much less periphrastic style, "I will obey your worship as far as the spirit will permit.

From Woodstock; or, the Cavalier by Scott, Walter, Sir