circa

American  

[sur-kuh] / ˈsɜr kə /

preposition

1. about: used especially in approximate dates: ca, ca., c., c, cir., circ.

   The Venerable Bede was born circa 673.

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circa British  

/ ˈsɜːkə /

preposition

1. Abbreviation: c., ca.. (used with a date) at the approximate time of

   circa 1182 bc.

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Etymology

Origin of circa

First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin: “around, about,” akin to circus circus

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circa

A different expressiveness is apparent in Ruth Asawa’s ravishing “Untitled” of circa 1958, one of her characteristic suspended sculptures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

Say what you will about the Democratic establishment circa 2026.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026

It said archaeological trenches dug near the route of the underground cable "contained the rim of an inverted pottery vessel whose fabric suggests a Bronze Age collared urn circa 1700-1500BC, typically associated with human burial".

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

It was a luxurious time in media, circa 2011, when ESPN’s Grantland paid his $10,000 entry fee and said he could keep his winnings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

It looked very much like what I’d seen of the rest of the courthouse, circa 1950 or so, with pecky linoleum tiles and paneling that was yellowed and sticky-looking with honey-colored varnish.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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