VERBIAGE
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verbiage
/ˈvʌbiɪdʒ/
Verbiage is what it sounds like — a lot of words: verbs, nouns, adjectives and all the other parts of speech. Usually, verbiage means a few too many words — like the excessive verbiage in a legal document.
Verbiage comes from the 18th-century French verbier, meaning “to chatter.” Verbiage can mean just the words being used to communicate, or a bunch of empty words used to obscure communication. Someone long-winded might receive a sarcastic “compliment” about his verbiage, while another speaker might receive genuine applause for intelligent verbiage, or choice of words.
Definitions of verbiage
- noun overabundance of wordssynonyms:verbalismsee more
- noun the manner in which something is expressed in words“”use concise military verbiage“- G.S.Patton”synonyms:choice of words, diction, phraseology, phrasing, wordingsee more
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“Verbiage.” Vocabulary.com Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/verbiage. Accessed 05 Jun. 2025.Copy citation
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verbiage means :
persistent petty and unjustified criticisman expression of approval and commendationoverabundance of wordsa record of things worth remembering
Examples from books and articles
All sources
- An important principle in composition is that the amount of verbiage one devotes to a point should not be too far out of line with how central it is to the argument.The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
- Pseudointellectuals spout obscure verbiage to hide the fact that they have nothing to say.The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
- Wilkerson will not allow us to snooze through a recitation of familiar verbiage.The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
- Once again the bulk of the verbiage pushes in one direction while the content of the author’s argument pushes in the other.The Sense of Style by Steven Pinker
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘verbiage’. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing verbiage
Ray Bradbury
In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury imagines a dystopian future in which firemen burn banned books and people are constantly bombarded with mindless entertainment. This classic novel is as powerful and relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1953.
100 SAT Words Beginning with “V”
Find lists of SAT words organized by every letter of the alphabet here: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K & L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, and W, X, Y & Z.
Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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