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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circa

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

We’re entering Los Angeles, circa 1981, and just like the Overlook Hotel, danger lurks beneath a glamorous facade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Assuming vendor financing at 70% loan-to-value ratio implies equity required of circa A$400 million,” Macquarie says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Its cousins around the nation had Lawrence family portrait, probably circa 1910.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik