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

Something is due to the proprieties, and to accuse a man of deviations from candour and truth is of course merely a slightly periphrastic method of charging him with falsehood.

From The Story of the Upper Canada Rebellion by Dent, John Charles

"I won't press the analogy, but I will say that those who are themselves periphrastic should avoid criticising others for being ambaginous."

From The Inventions of the Idiot by Bangs, John Kendrick

In addition to the above inflected forms, there are many periphrastic or compound forms, made up of auxiliaries with the infinitives and participles.

From An English Grammar by Sewell, James Witt