circulation

American  

[sur-kyuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌsɜr kjəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

circulations plural

1. an act or instance of circulating, moving in a circle or circuit, or flowing.

2. the continuous movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels, which is maintained chiefly by the action of the heart, and by which nutrients, oxygen, and internal secretions are carried to and wastes are carried from the body tissues.

3. any similar circuit, passage, or flow, as of the sap in plants or air currents in a room.

4. the transmission or passage of anything from place to place or person to person.

   the circulation of a rumor; the circulation of money.

5. the distribution of copies of a periodical among readers.

6. the number of copies of each issue of a newspaper, magazine, etc., distributed.

7. coins, notes, bills, etc., in use as money; currency.

8. Library Science.

   1. the lending of library books and other materials.

   2. the number of books and materials that a library has lent.

   3. the processes connected with providing for the use of library materials, including reserve operations, recall, and record-keeping.

9. Hydraulics. a quantity analogous to work and equal to the line integral of the component of fluid velocity about a closed contour.

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idioms

1. in circulation, participating actively in social or business life.

   After a month in the hospital, he's back in circulation.

circulation British  

/ ˌsɜːkjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the transport of oxygenated blood through the arteries to the capillaries, where it nourishes the tissues, and the return of oxygen-depleted blood through the veins to the heart, where the cycle is renewed

2. the flow of sap through a plant

3. any movement through a closed circuit

4. the spreading or transmission of something to a wider group of people or area

5. (of air and water) free movement within an area or volume

6. 1. the distribution of newspapers, magazines, etc

   2. the number of copies of an issue of such a publication that are distributed

7. library science

   1. a book loan, as from a library lending department

   2. each loan transaction of a particular book

   3. the total issue of library books over a specified period

8. a rare term for circulating medium

9. 1. (of currency) serving as a medium of exchange

   2. (of people) active in a social or business context

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circulation Scientific  

/ sûr′kyə-lā′shən /

1. The flow of fluid, especially blood, through the tissues of an organism to allow for the transport and exchange of blood gases, nutrients, and waste products. In vertebrates, the circulation of blood to the tissues and back to the heart is caused by the pumping action of the heart. Oxygen-rich blood is carried away from the heart by the arteries, and oxygen-poor blood is returned to the heart by the veins. The circulation of lymph occurs in a separate system of vessels (the lymphatic system). Lymph is pumped back to the heart by the contraction of skeletal muscles.

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circulation More Idioms  

1. see in circulation; out of circulation.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intercirculation
  noun
• noncirculation
  noun
• precirculation
  noun
• recirculation
  noun
• circulable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• circulations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of circulation

1400–50 for an earlier alchemical sense; 1645–55 circulation for def. 1; late Middle English circulacioun < Latin circulātiōn- (stem of circulātiō ), equivalent to circulāt ( us ) ( see circulate) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

The word circulation refers to the movement of blood through your body's blood vessels and heart. It can also mean free movement in a more general sense, as in the circulation of news, money, or even library books. Circulation of blood is what happens in your body's circulatory system. There are other kinds of circulation too, like sap moving through a plant, air moving freely within a building, or even party guests strolling around your living room. The key thing they all have in common is orderly movement. The Latin root, circulare, means "to form a circle."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circulation circulations

Researchers say the results indicate that multivitamins may help older adults preserve their ability to function from day to day, potentially through benefits involving cognitive health, circulation, and physical endurance.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

Election law expert Fred Woocher said that the law allows the ballot measure summary to be different than the description of the measure in circulation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Some of the aspects studied on the flight were the modified architecture around the extra fuel tank, changes to make the cabin quieter, and the plane's air circulation system.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Widespread market challenges continue to pressure digital revenue, while the decline in circulation volume widened, the analysts note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Mr. Baca came around the circulation desk and walked over.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

That theme eventually smooths the unjust twists in a case propelled by preconceived notions and a hunger for villainy that boosts ratings and magazine circulations.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2025

As the world heats unevenly, this causes changes in the atmospheric circulations that steer storms across the planet.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2024

The code has been applied to a wide range of problems, from modeling the dynamics inside individual cells, to ocean and atmospheric circulations.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024

“This tornado has been touching the ground intermittently so far and is moving east. There are additional circulations along the line south of O’Hare. Seek shelter if in the warned area,” it said.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 12, 2023

The only communications between the two circulations, were the foramen ovale, the ductus arteriosus, and, in the opinion of M. Tiedemann, the inosculations between the branches of the pulmonary and bronchial arteries.

From North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826 by Bache, Franklin

Related Words

• currency
• dissemination