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/

  • 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:

     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

   • 2019, Paulia Giliker, chapter 1, in Tort, Eighth edition, Thompson Reuters, →ISBN, What is tort? (section 1-002), page 2:

     It must be conceded that this definition (the definition of tort) is somewhat circular, but it is the only one that will suffice.

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:

     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?

Noun

circular (plural circulars)

1. An advertisement, directive or notice intended for mass circulation.

   Synonym: (advertisement) flyer

   • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 40:

     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.

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.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin circulāris, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular (epicene, plural circulares)

1. circular

Verb

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

1. to circle

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late Latin circulāris, from Latin circulus.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late Latin circulāre, post-Augustan form of Latin circulārī.

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, 2025.
• “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.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus.

Adjective

circular m or f (plural circulares)

1. (geometry) circular

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

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

Etymology

Borrowed 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