elliptical

adjective

i-ˈlip-ti-kəl How to pronounce elliptical (audio)
variants or elliptic
Definition of ellipticalnext
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1
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning the poet's elliptical style is such that the reader often senses that an allusion is being made—but to what exactly?

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2
as in oval
having the shape of an egg the villa's marble pool is surrounded by an elliptic arrangement of ancient Greek statuary

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3
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning his elliptical replies can seem rude to some people, but that's just his way

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elliptical This maneuver moved the lander from a high elliptical orbit to a much lower elliptical orbit around the Moon. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 19 Feb. 2025 The weirdness, beautifully designed and elliptical, is welcome. — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025 During this time, a spacecraft can follow an elliptical path to intersect Mars's orbit using minimal energy. — Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 Within about an hour, Blue Ghost separated from the Falcon 9 rocket on an elliptical Earth orbit before establishing communications with Firefly’s mission operations center in Cedar Park, Texas. — Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
  1. cryptic
  2. oval
  3. concise
  4. ambiguous
  5. brief
  6. enigmatic
  7. curt
  8. blunt
Adjective
  • The Bachelor alum took to social media on Wednesday, March 19, with a cryptic message seemingly responding to her ex-boyfriend Brendan Morais’ hard launch with his new girlfriend Serene Russell.
    — Liza Esquibias, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The episode ends with a cryptic phone call to Luca from a family member, hinting at their ties to the resort.
    — Martine Paris, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • The Kohler Sunstruck oval tub is standard in the primary bathroom if this layout is chosen.
    — Benjamin C Tankersley, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023
  • This simple opener works well on circular cans but may not be effective on dented, square, or oval cans.
    — Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2023
Definition of oval
Adjective
  • This Side of the Island is a more concise and conceptual effort, compared to his last full-length, 2020’s The Loves of Your Life, which is a masterpiece of musical storytelling.
    — Frank DiGiacomo, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Keeping prices down Bartell, who is the president of Bartell Hotels and the chairman of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District, attributes the extended success of Humphreys to a concise plan.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of concise
Adjective
  • Team Harris’s strategy appeared to rely heavily on a short campaign window, with a sparse interview schedule, slow windup to unscripted events, and ambiguous policy positions.
    — W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Instead, security leaders typically present compliance checklists, regulatory obligations and ambiguous risk scores that executives then struggle to translate into financial and operational impact.
    — Jerry Layden, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • As a result, his answers are brief and not all that stimulating.
    — Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The ribbon cutting, hosted by the Ocklawaha Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, will include light refreshments, and a brief program.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of brief
Adjective
  • The actor, who has built a career playing deliciously inscrutable villains, stars as Alfred Moretti, an enigmatic pop icon who, after decades out of the spotlight, re-emerges to announce the release of a new album.
    — Jessica Wang, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • There’s a lot more mythology where that came from, including an enigmatic online game.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of enigmatic
Adjective
  • Scheer was smart to whittle down the novel’s winding sentences into short, sharp exclamations and curt instructions — and also to be faithful to Melville’s rendition of the captain’s irritable diction.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
  • There were abrasive, curt interviews with the media.
    — Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of curt
Adjective
  • Palico's attacks with blunt weapons do not inflict stun and exhaust damages.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Trump’s disruptive and at times blunt methods brought us here.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of blunt

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Cite this Entry

“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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