circular

circular

English

Etymology

From Middle English circuler, circuleer, circulere, from Old French circulier, from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus (“ring”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜːk.jə.lə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝk.jə.lɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cir‧cu‧lar

Adjective

circular (comparative more circular, superlative most circular)

1. Of or relating to a circle.
2. In the shape of, or moving in a circle.
   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 4293071:

     Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

3. Circuitous or roundabout.
4. Referring back to itself, so as to prevent computation or comprehension; infinitely recursive.

   circular reasoning

   Your dictionary defines "brave" as "courageous", and "courageous" as "brave". That's a circular definition.

   a circular formula in a spreadsheet

   I changed the definition of "sex" from "to have sex" to "to have sexual intercourse"; a dictionary definition must never be circular; using the word being defined to define itself.

5. Distributed to a large number of persons.
   • 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], OCLC 156165476:

     a proclamation of Henry III., […] doubtless circular throughout England

6. (obsolete) Perfect; complete.
   • 1632, Philip Massinger, Maid of Honour, act I, scene 2:

     A man so absolute and circular / In all those wished-for rarities that may take / A virgin captive.

7. (archaic) Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior.
   • February 1, 1711, John Dennis, on the Genius and Writings of Shakespeare

     Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido?

Synonyms

• ringlike
• ring-shaped
• round-like

Hyponyms

• semicircular

Derived terms

• circular angle
• circular arc
• circular argument
• circular breathing
• circular cone
• circular dichroism
• circular economy
• circular function
• circularise
• circularity
• circular knitting
• circular mil
• circular note
• circular parry
• circular polarized light
• circular queue
• circular reference
• circular sector
• circular segment
• court circular
• meta-circular
• microcircular
• near-circular
• semi-circular

 

Related terms

• circle
• circular file
• circular firing squad
• circular saw

 

Translations

of or relating to a circle

Arabic: دَائِرِيّ‎ (dāʾiriyy) Armenian: please add this translation if you can Asturian: circular Belarusian: кругавы́ (kruhavý) Bengali: বৃত্তাকার (bn) (bŕttakar), গোলাকার (golakar) Bulgarian: кръго́в (bg) (krǎgóv) Catalan: circular (ca) Esperanto: cirkla Finnish: ympyrä- (fi) French: circulaire (fr) Galician: circular (gl) m or f German: Kreis- (de) Greek: κυκλικός (el) m (kyklikós) Ancient: κυκλικός (kuklikós) Ido: cirkla (io), cirklala (io), cirklatra (io) Italian: circolare (it) Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: bazinî (ku) Macedonian: кружен (kružen) Maori: porohita, porowhita Pashto: ګرد‎ (gërd) Portuguese: circular (pt) Romanian: circular (ro), de cerc Russian: кругово́й (ru) (krugovój) Scottish Gaelic: cearcaill Spanish: circular (es) Swedish: cirkulär (sv), compounds with cirkel (sv) c or ring (sv) c Turkish: dairesel (tr) Ukrainian: кругови́й (kruhovýj)

in the shape of, or moving in a circle

Arabic: دَائِرِيّ‎ (dāʾiriyy) Armenian: please add this translation if you can Asturian: circular Belarusian: кру́глы (krúhly) Bulgarian: кръ́гъл (bg) (krǎ́gǎl) Burmese: ဝိုင်း (my) (wuing:) Catalan: circular (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 圓／圆 (zh) (yuán) Czech: kulatý (cs) Danish: rund (da), cirkulær (da) Dutch: rond (nl) Finnish: ympyrän muotoinen, pyöreä (fi) (in the shape of circle); pyörivä (fi) (moving in a circle) French: rond (fr) Galician: circular (gl) Georgian: წრიული (c̣riuli) German: rund (de), Kreis- (de), kreisartig, kreisförmig (de), kreisend (de) (moving in a circle) Greek: κυκλικός (el) (kyklikós) Ancient: κυκλικός (kuklikós) Hindi: वृत्तीय (vŕttīya), वर्तुल (hi) (vartul), गोल (hi) (gol), वृत्ताकार (vŕttākār) Hungarian: körkörös (hu) Indonesian: bundar (id) Irish: ciorclach Italian: circolare (it) Japanese: 丸い (ja) (まるい, marui) Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: bazineyî Macedonian: кружен (kružen) Pashto: ګرد‎ (gërd) Persian: دایره‎ (fa) Plautdietsch: runt Polish: okrągły (pl) Portuguese: circular (pt), redondo (pt), arredondado (pt) Romanian: circular (ro) Russian: кру́глый (ru) (krúglyj), окру́глый (ru) (okrúglyj) Sanskrit: मण्डल (sa) (maṇḍala) Scottish Gaelic: cearclach Spanish: circular (es) Sundanese: bunder Swedish: rund (sv), cirkulär (sv), cirkelformad (sv), ringformad (sv) Ukrainian: кру́глий (uk) (krúhlyj) Volapük: sirkafomik (vo), klöpik (vo)

circuitous or roundabout — See also translations at circuitous,‎ roundabout

Bulgarian: обиколен (bg) (obikolen) Finnish: kierto-, kiertelevä (fi), epäsuora (fi) Greek: περιστροφικός (el) m (peristrofikós) Macedonian: обиколен (obikolen) Portuguese: circular (pt) Russian: око́льный (ru) (okólʹnyj), кружно́й (ru) (kružnój), окружно́й (ru) (okružnój)

referring back to itself — See also translations at circular definition

Finnish: kehämäinen, kehä- (fi) German: zirkelhaft

distributed to a large number of persons

Bulgarian: циркуля́рен (bg) (cirkuljáren) Finnish: laajalevikkinen Greek: εγκύκλιος (el) m (egkýklios) Russian: циркуля́рный (ru) (cirkuljárnyj)

Noun

circular (plural circulars)

1. Synonym of flyer: a printed advertisement, directive, or notice intended for mass circulation.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, London: Heinemann, OCLC 59891543, page 55:

     The pigeon-hole was also stuffed with circulars and hand-bills.

2. Short for circular letter.
3. Short for circular file.
4. (dated) A sleeveless cloak cut from a circular pattern.
5. A shuttle bus with a circular route.

See also

• advertisement
• booklet
• brochure
• catalogue, catalog
• flier, flyer
• handbill, hand bill
• junk mail
• leaflet
• pamphlet

Verb

circular (third-person singular simple present circulars, present participle circularing, simple past and past participle circulared)

1. To distribute circulars to or at.
   • 1851, G. W. Muir, Report on the State of Engine and Other Furnaces, page 19:

     The result of the sending of these notices confirms me in the opinion, that it will be necessary to adopt legal means with the great majority of these parties. The circulars have had little effect. In fact, the parties have been “circulared" into the notion that nothing more formidable will ever be sent to them.

   • 1873, Old and new - Volume 8, page 101:

     It is true, that, to obtain these, some six hundred or more institutions were circulared, and a good many of these a second time.

   • 1909, American Life Convention, Report of the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Life Convention, page 42:

     I do not mean to say we have never employed some of them who come to us—but we have never circulared agents or gone after them.

   • 1962, Harrie Sheridan Baketel, Medical Economics - Volume 39, page 141:

     If you've ever been circulared by drug repackaging houses, you know they usually offer to trade a selection of office supplies for your unused drug samples.

2. To extend in a circular direction.
   • 2008, Donald E. Wagner, Kenneth Cragg, Dying in the Land of Promise, page 116:

     The theme can be expressed in an architectural analogy. For, of all contriving to encover space, the arch — alone or 'circulared' into the dome — is the most ingenious.

---

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (epicene, plural circulares)

1. circular

Related terms

• círculu

Verb

circular (first-person singular indicative present circulo, past participle circuláu)

1. to circle

Conjugation

Conjugation of circular

infinitive		circular
gerund		circulando
past participle		m circuláu, f circulada, n circulao, m pl circulaos, f pl circulaes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	circulo	circules	circula	circulamos	circuláis	circulen
	imperfect	circulaba	circulabes	circulaba	circulábemos, circulábamos	circulabeis, circulabais	circulaben
	preterite	circulé	circulasti, circulesti	circuló	circulemos	circulastis, circulestis	circularon
	pluperfect	circulare, circulara	circulares, circularas	circulare, circulara	circuláremos, circuláramos	circulareis, circularais	circularen, circularan
	future	circularé	circularás	circulará	circularemos	circularéis	circularán
	conditional	circularía	circularíes	circularía	circularíemos, circularíamos	circularíeis, circularíais	circularíen
subjunctive	present	circule	circules, circulas	circule	circulemos	circuléis	circulen, circulan
	imperfect	circulare, circulara	circulares, circularas	circulare, circulara	circuláremos, circuláramos	circulareis, circularais	circularen, circularan
imperative		—	circula	—	—	circulái	—

Related terms

• círculu

---

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /siɾ.kuˈla/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /sir.kuˈla/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /siɾ.kuˈlaɾ/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (masculine and feminine plural circulars)

1. circular

Noun

circular f (plural circulars)

1. circular

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late Latin circulo, circulare, post-Augustan form of Latin circulor.

Verb

circular (first-person singular present circulo, past participle circulat)

1. to circulate
2. to move, to travel

Conjugation

Conjugation of circular (first conjugation)

infinitive			circular
present participle			circulant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		circulat		circulada
		plural		circulats		circulades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	circulo	circules	circula	circulem	circuleu	circulen
	imperfect	circulava	circulaves	circulava	circulàvem	circulàveu	circulaven
	future	circularé	circularàs	circularà	circularem	circulareu	circularan
	preterite	circulí	circulares	circulà	circulàrem	circulàreu	circularen
	conditional	circularia	circularies	circularia	circularíem	circularíeu	circularien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	circuli	circulis	circuli	circulem	circuleu	circulin
	imperfect	circulés	circulessis	circulés	circuléssim	circuléssiu	circulessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
		—	circula	circuli	circulem	circuleu	circulin

Related terms

• cercle

Further reading

• “circular” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “circular”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “circular” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “circular” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

---

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular m or f (plural circulares)

1. (geometry) circular

Related terms

• círculo

---

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circulāris (“circular round”), from Latin circulus, corresponding to círculo +‎ -ar.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /siʁ.kuˈlaʁ/ [sih.kuˈlah]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /siʁ.kuˈlaʁ/ [sih.kuˈlah]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /siɾ.kuˈlaɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /siʁ.kuˈlaʁ/ [siχ.kuˈlaχ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /siɻ.kuˈlaɻ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /siɾ.kuˈlaɾ/

• Hyphenation: cir‧cu‧lar

Adjective

circular m or f (plural circulares)

1. circular; round

   Vimos um objeto circular sobrevoando a cidade.

   We saw a round object flying over the city.

   Synonyms: redondo, rotundo

2. (Brazil) running in a loop

   Ônibus circular.

   Shuttle bus.

3. (rhetoric, lexicography) circular (referring back to itself)

   Definição circular.

   Circular definition.

4. circular (distributed to a large number of people)

   Carta circular.

   Circular letter.

Noun

circular f (plural circulares)

1. circular letter (official communication distributed to interested parties)
2. (Portugal) ring road

   Synonyms: (Portugal) circunvalação, (Brazil) anel rodoviário, (Brazil) rodoanel

Noun

circular m (plural circulares)

1. (Brazil) circular (shuttle bus that runs in a loop)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin circulāre (“to make round”), post-Augustan form of Latin circulor.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /siʁ.kuˈla(ʁ)/ [sih.kuˈla(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /siʁ.kuˈla(ʁ)/ [sih.kuˈla(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /siɾ.kuˈla(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /siʁ.kuˈla(ʁ)/ [siχ.kuˈla(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /siɻ.kuˈla(ɻ)/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /siɾ.kuˈlaɾ/

• Hyphenation: cir‧cu‧lar

Verb

circular (first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulei, past participle circulado)

1. (transitive) to circle (to place a circle around)

   Circulem a resposta correta. ― Circle the correct answer.

   Synonym: circundar

2. (intransitive) to circle (to move around an axis)

   Nosso planeta circula ao redor do Sol. ― Our planet circles the Sun.

   Synonyms: girar, rodar

3. (intransitive) to circulate (to move through a circuit)

   O sangue parou de circular em suas veias. ― Blood stopped flowing in his veins.

4. (intransitive) to flow freely

   Abri as janelas para o ar circular. ― I opened the windows to get a better airflow.

5. (intransitive, or transitive with por) to move about; to walk around

   Depois que a neve derreteu, as pessoas começaram a circular pelo parque. ― After the snow melted, people started walking around the park.

   Circulem! ― Get going! [used to disperse a crowd]

6. (transitive) to circulate; to disseminate; to spread

   Os alunos circularam um rumor muito maldoso. ― The students spread a nasty rumour.

7. (intransitive) to circulate; to be disseminated; to be spread; to go around

   Circulava uma notícia sobre o acidente. ― News about the accident had been going around.

   1. (economics) to circulate (to be valid as currency)

      O euro deixará de circular no Reino Unido. ― The euro will no longer circulate in the United Kingdom.

   2. (media) to circulate (to be published and distributed)

      Este é o único jornal que ainda circula. ― This is the only newspaper still in circulation.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of circular (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	circular
Personal	circular	circulares	circular	circularmos	circulardes	circularem
Gerund
	circulando
Past participle
Masculine	circulado			circulados
Feminine	circulada			circuladas
Indicative
Present	circulo	circulas	circula	circulamos	circulais	circulam
Imperfect	circulava	circulavas	circulava	circulávamos	circuláveis	circulavam
Preterite	circulei	circulaste	circulou	circulamos1, circulámos2	circulastes	circularam
Pluperfect	circulara	circularas	circulara	circuláramos	circuláreis	circularam
Future	circularei	circularás	circulará	circularemos	circulareis	circularão
Conditional
	circularia	circularias	circularia	circularíamos	circularíeis	circulariam
Subjunctive
Present	circule	circules	circule	circulemos	circuleis	circulem
Imperfect	circulasse	circulasses	circulasse	circulássemos	circulásseis	circulassem
Future	circular	circulares	circular	circularmos	circulardes	circularem
Imperative
Affirmative		circula	circule	circulemos	circulai	circulem
Negative (não)		não circules	não circule	não circulemos	não circuleis	não circulem

¹Brazil.
²Portugal.

---

Romanian

Etymology

From French circulaire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃirkuˈlar/

Adjective

circular m or n (feminine singular circulară, masculine plural circulari, feminine and neuter plural circulare)

1. circular

Declension

Declension of circular

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	circular		circulară	circulari	circulare
	definite	circularul		circulara	circularii	circularele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	circular		circulare	circulari	circulare
	definite	circularului		circularei	circularilor	circularelor

Related terms

• cerc

---

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /θiɾkuˈlaɾ/ [θiɾ.kuˈlaɾ]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /siɾkuˈlaɾ/ [siɾ.kuˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: cir‧cu‧lar

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circulāris, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (plural circulares)

1. circular

Derived terms

• circularmente
• sierra circular

Noun

circular f (plural circulares)

1. flyer, circular (advertisement)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late Latin circulāre, present active infinitive of circulō, post-Augustan form of Latin circulor. Doublet of the inherited cerchar[1].

Verb

circular (first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulé, past participle circulado)

1. to circulate
2. to go round, move around
3. to scram, clear off

Conjugation

    Conjugation of circular (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			circular
gerund			circulando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		circulado		circulada
		plural		circulados		circuladas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	circulo	circulastú circulásvos	circula	circulamos	circuláis	circulan
	imperfect	circulaba	circulabas	circulaba	circulábamos	circulabais	circulaban
	preterite	circulé	circulaste	circuló	circulamos	circulasteis	circularon
	future	circularé	circularás	circulará	circularemos	circularéis	circularán
	conditional	circularía	circularías	circularía	circularíamos	circularíais	circularían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	circule	circulestú circulésvos2	circule	circulemos	circuléis	circulen
	imperfect (ra)	circulara	circularas	circulara	circuláramos	circularais	circularan
	imperfect (se)	circulase	circulases	circulase	circulásemos	circulaseis	circulasen
	future1	circulare	circulares	circulare	circuláremos	circulareis	circularen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		circulatú circulávos	circule	circulemos	circulad	circulen
	negative		no circules	no circule	no circulemos	no circuléis	no circulen

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of circular

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive circular
	dative	circularme	circularte	circularle, circularse	circularnos	circularos	circularles, circularse
	accusative	circularme	circularte	circularlo, circularla, circularse	circularnos	circularos	circularlos, circularlas, circularse
with gerund circulando
	dative	circulándome	circulándote	circulándole, circulándose	circulándonos	circulándoos	circulándoles, circulándose
	accusative	circulándome	circulándote	circulándolo, circulándola, circulándose	circulándonos	circulándoos	circulándolos, circulándolas, circulándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative circula
	dative	circúlame	circúlate	circúlale	circúlanos	not used	circúlales
	accusative	circúlame	circúlate	circúlalo, circúlala	circúlanos	not used	circúlalos, circúlalas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative circulá
	dative	circulame	circulate	circulale	circulanos	not used	circulales
	accusative	circulame	circulate	circulalo, circulala	circulanos	not used	circulalos, circulalas
with formal second-person singular imperative circule
	dative	circúleme	not used	circúlele, circúlese	circúlenos	not used	circúleles
	accusative	circúleme	not used	circúlelo, circúlela, circúlese	circúlenos	not used	circúlelos, circúlelas
with first-person plural imperative circulemos
	dative	not used	circulémoste	circulémosle	circulémonos	circulémoos	circulémosles
	accusative	not used	circulémoste	circulémoslo, circulémosla	circulémonos	circulémoos	circulémoslos, circulémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative circulad
	dative	circuladme	not used	circuladle	circuladnos	circulaos	circuladles
	accusative	circuladme	not used	circuladlo, circuladla	circuladnos	circulaos	circuladlos, circuladlas
with formal second-person plural imperative circulen
	dative	circúlenme	not used	circúlenle	circúlennos	not used	circúlenles, circúlense
	accusative	circúlenme	not used	circúlenlo, circúlenla	circúlennos	not used	circúlenlos, circúlenlas, circúlense

Related terms

• círculo

References

1. “cerchar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Further reading

• “circular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014