Definition

Describing something that has the shape of an oval or ellipse, or is characterized by a concise and sometimes unclear style of expression.

Example

The artist used elliptic shapes in her painting to create a sense of movement.

Conversation

Have you seen that new art exhibit downtown?

Yeah, I went last weekend! The shapes were really interesting.

I loved how some of the pieces had such an elliptic design.

Totally! It added a unique perspective to the whole experience.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Elliptic → It is formed from "ellips" (from Greek "elleipsis", meaning a falling short or omission) and the suffix "-ic" (meaning pertaining to). The word "elliptic" refers to something that is related to or characterized by an ellipse, which is a shape that falls short of being a perfect circle.

Memory Tip

Think of the Greek word for falling short ('elleipsis') to remember that 'elliptic' describes a shape that is not quite a circle, but rather an elongated one.

Visually Confused Words