circular
Americanadjective
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having the form of a circle; round.
a circular tower.
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of or relating to a circle.
a circular plane.
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moving in or forming a circle or a circuit.
the circular rotation of the earth.
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moving or occurring in a cycle or round.
the circular succession of the seasons.
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roundabout; indirect; circuitous.
a circular route.
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Logic. of or relating to reasoning in which the conclusion is ostensibly proved, but in actuality it or its equivalent has been assumed as a premise.
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pertaining to a circle or set of persons.
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(of a letter, memorandum, etc.) addressed to a number of persons or intended for general circulation.
noun
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circulars
plural
adjective
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of, involving, resembling, or shaped like a circle
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circuitous
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(of arguments) futile because the truth of the premises cannot be established independently of the conclusion
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travelling or occurring in a cycle
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(of letters, announcements, etc) intended for general distribution
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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circularitynoun
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circularnessnoun
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noncircularadjective
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subcircularadjective
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uncircularadjective
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circularlyadverb
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noncircularlyadverb
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subcircularlyadverb
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uncircularlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of circular
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin circulāris, equivalent to circul(us), circlus “a circular form or figure; a ring or circle” + -āris adjective suffix; see origin at circle, -ar 1
Explanation
If something is circular, it has a round shape. You might take a circular route on your jog, running all the way around the park. You can build a circular fence around your garden, or pipe frosting flowers in a circular design on top of a birthday cake. Look at either from above, and they form circles. In logic, a circular argument is one that ends up exactly where it started — you assume something, rather than proving it. A paper advertisement can also be called a circular, from the idea that it's distributed to a certain circle, or group, of people.
Vocabulary lists containing circular
Geometry - Introductory
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Geometry (Base List)
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Measurement and Data
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Huang says the new funding structure addresses concerns about circular financing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
“I think the process of making that has been a very circular healing process for all of us,” Buckingham said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the device would be circular like a donut, about the size of a hockey puck, and cost between $300 and $400, with a launch planned for 2027.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Andromeda also frets about the circular exposure created by the insurers, banks and private-equity vehicles.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Ella followed him into a hexagonal room filled with a circular table and five chairs.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Dig through that stack of mail on your counter for circulars and search your email inbox for any grocery-store brand names to scope out advertised deals.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
If you’re looking for a specific brand or item, you can search for it instead of wading through dozens of printed circulars.
From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2025
The Home Office says all memos and circulars to police forces are published online in the National Archives.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025
Garvey and his associates were charged with sending promotional circulars through the mail “with intent to defraud their recipients by selling stock in what had become a worthless corporation.”
From Washington Post ● Dec. 4, 2021
She wrote circulars and articles about it, and the student union got involved.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
