circumvent

[ sur-kuhm-vent, sur-kuhm-vent ]

verb (used with object)

1. to go around or bypass:

   to circumvent the lake;

   to circumvent the real issues.

2. to avoid (defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc.) by artfulness or deception; avoid by anticipating or outwitting:

   He circumvented capture by anticipating their movements.

   Synonyms: outwit, evade, elude, escape

3. to surround or encompass, as by stratagem; entrap:

   to circumvent a body of enemy troops.

   Synonyms: ensnare, encircle

circumvent

/ ˌsɜːkəmˈvɛnt /

verb

1. to evade or go around
2. to outwit
3. to encircle (an enemy) so as to intercept or capture

Derived Forms

• ˌcircumˈventive, adjective
• ˌcircumˈvention, noun
• ˌcircumˈventer, noun

Other Words From

• cir·cum·vent·er cir·cum·ven·tor noun
• cir·cum·ven·tion noun
• cir·cum·ven·tive adjective
• un·cir·cum·vent·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of circumvent¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin circumventus (past participle of circumvenīre “to come around, surround, oppress, defraud”), equivalent to circum- circum- + ven(īre) “to come” + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of circumvent¹

C15: from Latin circumvenīre, from circum- + venīre to come

Example Sentences

Actually, the guessing game is over; the weddings have begun, as have weird attempts to circumvent our constitutional democracy.

From The Daily Beast

Production relocation to Africa and South America have allowed Chinese enterprises to circumvent trade caps.

From The Daily Beast

The bar,” says Dr. Markel, “gets so high their strengths can no longer circumvent their weaknesses.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, the report details an elaborate scheme to circumvent campaign finance laws.

From The Daily Beast

Mainstream media like Hurriyet published tips of how to circumvent the restriction.

From The Daily Beast

The Cardinal then hinted, that Wharton had vanished on some occult mission, to circumvent the Italian investiture.

From Project Gutenberg

Punishment still comes to us from those whom we would circumvent.

From Project Gutenberg

Philip gave Heracleides a kind of problem to work out,—how to circumvent and destroy the Rhodian fleet.

From Project Gutenberg

No wonder that provident parents circumvent such a common law by a settlement before marriage!

From Project Gutenberg

How could he know that a deeply laid plot was not already at work to undermine and circumvent him?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• avoid
• bypass
• deceive
• evade
• prevent
• sidestep
• skirt
• stymie
• thwart