elliptical

adjective

i-ˈlip-ti-kəl How to pronounce elliptical (audio)
variants or elliptic
Definition of ellipticalnext
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 The post-quantum algorithms replacing RSA and elliptic curve cryptography are based on problems that quantum computers have no advantage over classical computers in solving. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2026 For more than a decade, MAVEN circled Mars in a highly elliptical orbit, measuring particles escaping into space and observing how the atmosphere responded to solar activity. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 June 2026 The movement, with an 80-hour power reserve and a frequency of 4 Hz, is also home to a perpetual calendar and an equation of time display, showing the difference between mean solar time, shown on the main dial, and true solar time, which fluctuates due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 June 2026 Getty Images Why This Full Moon Looked Small June’s Strawberry Moon was a micromoon, which occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s apogee — the most distant point in its elliptical orbit around Earth. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for elliptical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elliptical
  1. cryptic
  2. oval
  3. concise
  4. ambiguous
  5. brief
  6. dark
  7. summary
  8. obscure
Adjective
  • It was filled with brackets and parentheticals, written in different fonts and colors, much of it in capital letters, at once detailed and cryptic.
    — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
  • His doctors speculated his infection might have been a rare case of cryptic transmission from sharing meals and bathrooms with his coworkers, one of whom apparently had a tapeworm infection.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026
Definition of cryptic
Adjective
  • By April 2019, the final stone went on show in Gabarone, graded as a type 11b Fancy Deep Blue, oval brilliant-cut VVS2 clarity, according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
    — Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The Meta Adventurer comes in a rectangular shape, the Meta Fury takes a more Ray-Ban-like square shape, while a special-edition Meta Glasses by Kylie comes in a slim, oval frame designed in collaboration with Kylie Jenner.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of oval
Adjective
  • Donna Kelce, mother of Travis and Jason, gave a concise reaction to the wedding while speaking with Macy's at the company's Fourth of July event in New York.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Then, when regular channels deny your claim, send a polite, concise email to the company’s executives.
    — Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of concise
Adjective
  • Vermeule—a former clerk for Scalia—proposes that conservatives should read the Constitution’s ambiguous phrases and general structure in an openly moral way, drawing on principles grounded in the nature and purposes of government.
    — Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • Without a unified, clean, and accessible data structure, AI outputs quickly become ambiguous, hallucinated, and diluted, deepening the clarity crisis rather than resolving it.
    — Ali Hoss, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • Things settled down quickly after that, though the brief dustup ended with Contreras, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, Boston outfielder Nate Eaton and Mikolas being ejected.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The ordinance marks a brief respite in the monthslong scramble to adapt to the broad changes brought by SB 79.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of brief
Adjective
  • As its name suggests, the product is formulated with skin care superstar retinol to smooth fine lines and crow’s feet and brighten dark circles.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 July 2026
  • El Floridita and Sloppy Joe’s, tourist destinations made famous by American novelist Ernest Hemingway, sat dark and shuttered.
    — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of dark
Adjective
  • The judge considered hundreds of pages of evidence and testimony from San Diego officials, homeowners and their lawyers and determined that the city had not met the burden for what is called summary adjudication in any of the five causes of actions.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.
    — Mary Ellen O'Connell, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of summary
Adjective
  • Intentionally vague and obscure, the Daodejing would go on to inspire various interpretations ranging from philosophical reflections to how to realize the Dao in everyday practice.
    — Michael Naparstek, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • The end of legal slavery in New York should not be an obscure historical fact.
    — Tunisia Morrison, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
Definition of obscure

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ellipses
elliptical
elliptically
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Cite this Entry

“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elliptical. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of elliptical for Spanish Speakers

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