circularity

American  

[sur-kyuh-lar-i-tee] / ˌsɜr kyəˈlær ɪ ti /

Rarely circularness

noun

1. the state or quality of being in the shape or form of a circle.

   Circularity is the measurement of the roundness of the individual coins.

   Her tasseled yellow hijab accentuated the almost complete circularity of her face.

2. the state or quality of moving or occurring in a cycle.

   Detritus ecosystems flourish and collapse because they lack the sustaining circularity of other kinds of ecosystems.

   The circularity of history provides instruction, correction, and guidance.

3. (of reasoning or logic) the quality of having a conclusion that has been assumed as a premise.

   Despite the apparent circularity, the implication that "public goods should be public" seems like a natural one.

   Circularity is the hallmark of this chain of reasoning, which appears to conflate the process of creating the rule with the process of justifying it.

4. the practice of encouraging reuse, recycling, or sustainability in consumption, manufacturing, etc..

   For the coming year, we intend to focus on sustainability and on closing the loop and bringing circularity into our purchasing and consuming behavior.

   Several new technologies are enabling infrastructure to be designed with greater circularity.

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Other Word Forms

• subcircularity noun

Etymology

Origin of circularity

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin circulāritas , equivalent to circular ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

But with the uncertainty and circularity of AI deals being what they are, boosting the company’s equity cushion seems prudent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

In a neat moment of circularity, Williams' record-breaking album harks back to the start of his solo career, and the period when he nearly lost himself.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

"Our motivation was to bring the conversation about circularity into the space domain, where it's long overdue," says Xuan.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2025

Since Nvidia agreed last month to invest $100 billion in its customer OpenAI, investors and analysts who follow artificial intelligence have awakened to that industry’s circularity.

From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025

Unlike the orbits of Mercury and Mars, the orbits of the other planets depart so little from circularity that we cannot make out their true shapes even in an extremely accurate diagram.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• chain reaction
• vicious cycle