verbiage
verbiage Lexical Profile
verbiage Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The particular choice of words, phrasing, or style of expression used in a document, contract, or speech.
"Before signing the agreement, the board requested a slight change to the verbiage in the liability clause."
Speech or writing that uses too many words or excessively complex, technical language, often obscuring the intended meaning.
"The editor cut out pages of unnecessary verbiage to make the legal report accessible to the general public."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word is frequently misspelled and mispronounced as 'verbage' (with two syllables instead of three). Additionally, while often used in business contexts as a neutral synonym for 'wording', traditional style guides note its primary negative connotation of excessive or needlessly complex language.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 18th century from French verbiage, from Old French verbier ('to chatter'), ultimately derived from Latin verbum ('word').