Etymology

From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#CIRCULARCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#CIRCULAR circuler, circuleer, circulere, from Old FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Old French#CIRCULAR circulier (French circulaire), from Late LatinCategory:English terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circularis, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulus, diminutive of circus (“ring”). By surface analysis, circle +‎ -arCategory:English terms suffixed with -ar (adjective)#CIRCULAR.

Pronunciation

• enPR: sûr′kyələr
• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜː.kjə.lə/Category:English 3-syllable words#CIRCULARCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝ.kjə.lɚ/Category:English 3-syllable words#CIRCULARCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

    Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪɹ.kjə.lɚ/Category:English 3-syllable words#CIRCULARCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• (Indic) IPA^(key): /ˈsər.k(j)ʊ.lər/Category:English 3-syllable words#CIRCULARCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• Hyphenation: cir‧cu‧lar

Adjective

circular (comparative more circular, superlative most circular)Category:English lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:English adjectives#CIRCULARCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

1. Of or relating to a circle.
2. In the shape of, or moving in, a circle.

   Synonyms: annular, ring-shaped, O-shaped

   Coordinate terms: semicircular, hemicircular (half a circle); egg-shaped, ovoid (ball-like solid)

   Near-synonyms: oval; round; toroid, ringlike, round-like

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

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

   circular reasoningCategory:English terms with collocations#CIRCULAR

   Your dictionary defines "brave" as "courageous", and "courageous" as "brave". That's a circular definition.Category:English terms with usage examples#CIRCULAR

   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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

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

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

6. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#CIRCULAR) 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

7. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CIRCULAR) 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)Category:English lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:English nouns#CIRCULARCategory:English countable nouns#CIRCULARCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

2. Ellipsis of circular letterCategory:English ellipses#CIRCULAR.
3. Ellipsis of circular fileCategory:English ellipses#CIRCULAR.
4. (datedCategory:English dated terms#CIRCULAR) 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)Category:English lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:English verbs#CIRCULARCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

   • 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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

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.

     Category:English terms with quotations#CIRCULAR

Etymology

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:Asturian terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Asturian terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circulāris, from LatinCategory:Asturian terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulus.

Adjective

circular (epicene, plural circulares)Category:Asturian lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:Asturian adjectives#CIRCULARCategory:Asturian entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

1. circular

Verb

circular (first-person singular indicative present circulo, past participle circuláu)Category:Asturian lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:Asturian verbs#CIRCULARCategory:Asturian entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

1. to circle

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:Catalan terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Catalan terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circulāris, from LatinCategory:Catalan terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulus.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:Catalan terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Catalan terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circulāre, post-Augustan form of LatinCategory:Catalan terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulārī.

Related terms

• cercle

Further reading

• “circular”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “circular”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “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 LatinCategory:Galician terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Galician terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circularis, from LatinCategory:Galician terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulus.

Adjective

circular m or f (plural circulares)Category:Galician lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:Galician adjectives#CIRCULARCategory:Galician epicene adjectives#CIRCULARCategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

1. (geometryCategory:gl:Geometry#CIRCULAR) circular

Noun

circular f (plural circulares)Category:Galician lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:Galician nouns#CIRCULARCategory:Galician countable nouns#CIRCULARCategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Galician feminine nouns#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

1. circular letter (official communication distributed to interested parties)

Pronunciation

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

  Category:Portuguese terms with audio pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• Hyphenation: cir‧cu‧lar

Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Late LatinCategory:Portuguese terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Portuguese learned borrowings from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circulāris (“circular round”), from LatinCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulus, corresponding to círculo +‎ -arCategory:Portuguese terms suffixed with -ar (adjective)#CIRCULAR.

Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from LatinCategory:Portuguese terms borrowed from Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Portuguese learned borrowings from Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulāre (“to make round”), post-Augustan form of LatinCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulārī. By surface analysis, círculo +‎ -arCategory:Portuguese terms suffixed with -ar (verb)#CIRCULAR.

Further reading

• “circular”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “circular”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Etymology

Borrowed from FrenchCategory:Romanian terms borrowed from French#CIRCULARCategory:Romanian terms derived from French#CIRCULAR circulaire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃirkuˈlar/Category:Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR

Adjective

circular m or n (feminine singular circulară, masculine plural circulari, feminine/neuter plural circulare)Category:Romanian lemmas#CIRCULARCategory:Romanian adjectives#CIRCULARCategory:Romanian entries with incorrect language header#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with entries#CIRCULARCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CIRCULAR

1. circular

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θiɾkuˈlaɾ/ [θiɾ.kuˈlaɾ] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#CIRCULARCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• IPA^(key): /siɾkuˈlaɾ/ [siɾ.kuˈlaɾ] (Latin America, Philippines)Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#CIRCULARCategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#CIRCULAR
• Rhymes: -aɾCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/aɾ#CIRCULARCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/aɾ/3 syllables#CIRCULAR
• Syllabification: cir‧cu‧lar

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:Spanish terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Spanish terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circulāris, from LatinCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulus.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Late LatinCategory:Spanish terms borrowed from Late Latin#CIRCULARCategory:Spanish terms derived from Late Latin#CIRCULAR circulāre, post-Augustan form of LatinCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#CIRCULAR circulārī. Doublet of the inherited cercharCategory:Spanish doublets#CIRCULAR.^[1]

Related terms

References

Further reading

• “circular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025