circulate

[ sur-kyuh-leyt ]

verb (used without object)

, cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing.

1. to move in a circle or circuit; move or pass through a circuit back to the starting point:

   Blood circulates throughout the body.

2. to pass from place to place, from person to person, etc.:

   She circulated among her guests.

3. to be distributed or sold, especially over a wide area.

   Synonyms: promulgate, lay, disperse

4. Library Science. (of books and other materials) to be available for borrowing by patrons of a library for a specified period of time.

verb (used with object)

, cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing.

1. to cause to pass from place to place, person to person, etc.; disseminate; distribute:

   to circulate a rumor.

2. Library Science. to lend (books and other materials) to patrons of a library for a specified period of time.

circulate

/ ˈsɜːkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to send, go, or pass from place to place or person to person

   don't circulate the news

2. to distribute or be distributed over a wide area
3. to move or cause to move through a circuit, system, etc, returning to the starting point

   blood circulates through the body

4. to move in a circle

   the earth circulates around the sun

circulate

/ sûr′kyə-lāt′ /

1. To move in or flow through a circle or a circuit. Blood circulates through the body as it flows out from the heart to the tissues and back again.

Derived Forms

• ˈcircuˌlative, adjective
• ˈcircuˌlator, noun
• ˈcirculatory, adjective

Other Words From

• circu·lata·ble adjective
• cir·cu·la·tive [sur, -ky, uh, -ley-tiv, -l, uh, -tiv], adjective
• cir·cu·la·to·ry [sur, -ky, uh, -l, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], adjective
• inter·circu·late verb intercirculated intercirculating
• non·circu·lating adjective
• non·circu·la·tory adjective
• pre·circu·late verb precirculated precirculating
• re·circu·late verb recirculated recirculating
• un·circu·lated adjective
• un·circu·lating adjective
• un·circu·lative adjective
• well-circu·lated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of circulate¹

1425–75 for earlier senses; 1665–75 for current senses; late Middle English < Latin circulātus (past participle of circulārī to gather round one, Medieval Latin circulāre to encircle), equivalent to circul ( us ) circle + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of circulate¹

C15: from Latin circulārī to assemble in a circle, from circulus circle

Example Sentences

It takes a few weeks for immunity to build, so by the time the virus really starts circulating you’re already protected.

From Popular-Science

Twitter users recently circulated a photo of what was believed to be the same boat, taken at a recent campaign event for the President.

From Fortune

In late October 2019, social-media users once again expressed anger after photos began circulating of a school’s students wearing brainwave-monitoring headbands, supposedly to improve their focus and learning.

From MIT Technology Review

Create value-added and engaging content to make sure your website actively circulates SERPs.

From Search Engine Watch

By 2016, it was the dominant form of influenza virus circulating in tested pigs.

From Science News

In medicine, Lazarus is the patient who, believed dead, spontaneously starts to circulate blood.

From The Daily Beast

And when a fraudulent work hits the marketplace, it tends to circulate.

From The Daily Beast

Skinnier hawkers stealthily circulate cooking queijo cualho (toasted cheese on a stick) in makeshift tin kettles.

From The Daily Beast

The exhibit began traveling across the country in December and will circulate through nine cities until 2014.

From The Daily Beast

But hell stories circulate most prominently among various stripes of evangelical Christians who fear ending up there.

From The Daily Beast

The three groups necessarily include all in the community who circulate money.

From Project Gutenberg

As already indicated, money may be said to circulate only when it passes in exchange for goods.

From Project Gutenberg

Both styles and variations of them circulate widely in New Zealand among children and adolescents.

From Project Gutenberg

The blazing fire again made the blood circulate through his numbed limbs, and dried his clothes.

From Project Gutenberg

It is our duty to spare no pains to circulate information, and to spread the truth far and wide.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• broadcast
• disperse
• disseminate
• distribute
• publicize
• publish
• spread