circuitous

What does “circuitous” mean?

adjective.longer than the most direct way; roundabout.

SAT Usage

The term is often found in passages discussing travel, navigation, or communication, emphasizing the inefficiency or complexity of a route or argument. It suggests a sense of frustration or unnecessary complication, contrasting with more straightforward approaches, and differs from "indirect," which may not carry the same implication of being unnecessarily convoluted.

Common Confusions

Circuitous implies a frustratingly roundabout route or argument, while indirect usually suggests a lack of straightforwardness without the same connotation of unnecessary complexity.

Example Sentences

• The detective took a circuitous route to avoid being followed.

Word Parts: How to Remember “circuitous”

Break “circuitous” into its parts: circum- (around). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.

• Prefix: circum- around (Latin)