Definitions and meaning of circular
circular
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, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈsɜː.kjə.lə(ɹ)/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsɝ.kjə.lɚ/
- Hyphenation: cir‧cu‧lar
Adjective
circular (comparative more circular, superlative most circular)
- Of or relating to a circle.
- In the shape of, or moving in a circle.
- Circuitous or roundabout.
- 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.
- Distributed to a large number of persons.
- (obsolete) Perfect; complete.
- (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
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Noun
circular (plural circulars)
- An advertisement, directive or notice intended for mass circulation.
- Synonym: (advertisement) flyer
- Short for circular letter.
- Short for circular file.
- (dated) A sleeveless cloak cut from a circular pattern.
- A shuttle bus with a circular route.
Translations
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)
- To distribute circulars to or at.
- To extend in a circular direction.
Asturian
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.
Adjective
circular (epicene, plural circulares)
- circular
Related terms
Verb
circular (first-person singular indicative present circulo, past participle circuláu)
- to circle
Conjugation
Related terms
Catalan
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Late Latin circulāris, from Latin circulus.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central) [sir.kuˈlar]
- IPA(key): (Balearic) [sir.kuˈla]
- IPA(key): (Valencian) [siɾ.kuˈlaɾ]
Adjective
circular m or f (masculine and feminine plural circulars)
- circular
Noun
circular f (plural circulars)
- circular
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Late Latin circulāre, post-Augustan form of Latin circulārī.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [sir.kuˈla]
- IPA(key): (Valencian) [siɾ.kuˈlaɾ]
Verb
circular (first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulí, past participle circulat)
- to circulate
- to move, to travel
Conjugation
Related terms
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, 2024
- “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)
- (geometry) circular
Related terms
Portuguese
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Late Latin circulāris (“circular round”), from Latin circulus, corresponding to círculo + -ar.
Pronunciation
Adjective
circular m or f (plural circulares)
- circular; round
- Synonyms: redondo, rotundo
- (Brazil) running in a loop
- (rhetoric, lexicography) circular (referring back to itself)
- circular (distributed to a large number of people)
Noun
circular f (plural circulares)
- circular letter (official communication distributed to interested parties)
- (Portugal) ring road
- Synonyms: (Portugal) circunvalação, (Brazil) anel rodoviário, (Brazil) rodoanel
Noun
circular m (plural circulares)
- (Brazil) circular (shuttle bus that runs in a loop)
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Latin circulāre (“to make round”), post-Augustan form of Latin circulārī.
Pronunciation
Verb
circular (first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulei, past participle circulado)
- (transitive) to circle (to place a circle around)
- Circulem a resposta correta. ― Circle the correct answer.
- Synonym: circundar
- (intransitive) to circle (to move around an axis)
- Nosso planeta circula ao redor do Sol. ― Our planet circles the Sun.
- Synonyms: girar, rodar
- (intransitive) to circulate (to move through a circuit)
- O sangue parou de circular em suas veias. ― Blood stopped flowing in his veins.
- (intransitive) to flow freely
- Abri as janelas para o ar circular. ― I opened the windows to get a better airflow.
- (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]
- (transitive) to circulate; to disseminate; to spread
- Os alunos circularam um rumor muito maldoso. ― The students spread a nasty rumour.
- (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.
- (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.
- (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
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French circulaire.
Pronunciation
Adjective
circular m or n (feminine singular circulară, masculine plural circulari, feminine and neuter plural circulare)
- circular
Declension
Related terms
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 m or f (masculine and feminine plural circulares)
- circular
Derived terms
Noun
circular f (plural circulares)
- flyer, circular (advertisement)
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Late Latin circulāre, post-Augustan form of Latin circulārī. Doublet of the inherited cerchar.
Verb
circular (first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulé, past participle circulado)
- to circulate
- to go round, move around
- to scram, clear off
Conjugation
Related terms
References
Further reading
- “circular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Source: wiktionary.org