Synonyms

circulate

American

[sur-kyuh-layt] / ˈsɜr kjəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

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

Blood circulates throughout the body.
to pass from place to place, from person to person, etc..

She circulated among her guests.
to be distributed or sold, especially over a wide area.

Synonyms:

promulgate, lay, disperse
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)

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

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

circulate British

/ ˈsɜːkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

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

don't circulate the news
to distribute or be distributed over a wide area
to move or cause to move through a circuit, system, etc, returning to the starting point

blood circulates through the body
to move in a circle

the earth circulates around the sun

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

circulate Scientific

/ sûr′kyə-lāt′ /

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of circulate

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

Explanation

To circulate is to move continuously in a specific circuit, often in a circle. A ceiling fan circulates cool air around the room on a warm day. Blood circulates through your body, pumped from your heart through veins and arteries — your circulatory system — and delivering oxygen to your tissues. This system is closed, meaning the blood stays in your body, bringing oxygenated blood back to your heart. People circulate when they move around a room at a party, chatting with different people, and rumors circulate when they're passed in a circle, from person to person. Circulate comes from the Latin circulare, "to form a circle."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing circulate

"Of Plymouth Plantation," Vocabulary from the historical account

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"Of Plymouth Plantation" by William Bradford

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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:

circulate circulates circulated circulating

Because these tiny particles could circulate and mix efficiently throughout the disk, they preserved a chemical composition that closely resembles the overall elemental mixture found in the Sun.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

The difference now, Tkatch said, is more advanced technology, making it easier to widely circulate synthetic fragrances and natural scents in a way that’s discreet and constant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Following his disappearance, a number of theories about what had happened to him began to circulate on social media.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

If foreign governments respond by restricting exports, fewer barrels will circulate through an already tight market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

It seemed pretty clear that the Marburg virus did not naturally circulate in monkeys, because it killed them so fast it could not successfully establish itself in them as a useful host.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Cerebral blood flow measures how much blood circulates through the brain, carrying oxygen and nutrients that brain cells need to function properly.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

RSV is a common virus that circulates every winter.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

“I don’t hear any noises,” he said, pacing a raised floor above a chamber that circulates air to cool servers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

The fan acts as a convection oven, an appliance that circulates hot air in order to cook food quickly and evenly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Pomp, who suffered the sickness as a child, circulates with me among the afflicted, bathing them comfortably and urging them to resist scratching and worrying at the sores, lest they rupture.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Since then, the video has been circulated on social media.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Part of what hampered his chances of a reprieve were extracts from his diaries which were widely circulated, publicly outing him as a homosexual.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Lighthouse investor slides that circulated in 2021, just before Cerberus invested, flagged weekly billable therapy at “30+ Hours/Client,” and noted “lifetime revenue per client” of $285,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

At Idubi, scientists hope to uncover evidence of ancient hydrothermal systems, where heated water once circulated through rocks and may have created conditions suitable for life.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

It provided public acknowledgment that she had contributed to a worthy line of inquiry and inked her fingerprints onto findings that would be circulated widely among the aeronautical community.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

During the study, researchers observed an increase in every type of circulating white blood cell they measured.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

The Wall Street Journal found broad areas of agreement when it asked 1,500 voters recently about some of the top policy ideas circulating in Congress and on the campaign trail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

Separately, BBC Verify has traced one of the most viral AI-generated images circulating on social media, which supposedly shows an elderly couple being robbed and left in their underwear in Paris, to an obscure website.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The reports of the alleged affair and images published by Daily Mail began circulating in late November 2022, thrusting the journalists and their loved ones into a media frenzy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

I was a Hollows Facebook phenomenon for a week until Mrs. Marks, our assistant principal, said anybody caught circulating the video would be suspended.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023