circus

American  

[sur-kuhs] / ˈsɜr kəs /

noun

• circuses
  plural

1. a large public entertainment, typically presented in one or more very large tents or in an outdoor or indoor arena, featuring exhibitions of pageantry, feats of skill and daring, performing animals, etc., interspersed throughout with the slapstick antics of clowns.

2. a troupe of performers, especially a traveling troupe, that presents such entertainments, together with officials, other employees, and the company's performing animals, traveling wagons, tents, cages, and equipment.

3. anything resembling such public entertainments, as an event or activity that is wildly active, disordered, sensational, etc..

   That whole trial was a circus.

4. a circular arena surrounded by tiers of seats, in which public entertainments are held; arena.

5. (in ancient Rome)

   1. a large, usually oblong or oval, roofless enclosure, surrounded by tiers of seats rising one above another, for chariot races, public games, etc.

   2. an entertainment given in this Roman arena, as a chariot race or public game.

      The Caesars appeased the public with bread and circuses.

6. anything resembling the Roman circus, or arena, as a natural amphitheater or a circular range of houses.

7. flying circus.

8. British. an open circle, square, or plaza where several streets converge.

   Piccadilly Circus.

9. Obsolete. a circlet or ring.

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circus British  

/ ˈsɜːkəs /

noun

1. a travelling company of entertainers such as acrobats, clowns, trapeze artistes, and trained animals

2. a public performance given by such a company

3. an oval or circular arena, usually tented and surrounded by tiers of seats, in which such a performance is held

4. a travelling group of professional sportsmen

   a cricket circus

5. 1. an open-air stadium, usually oval or oblong, for chariot races or public games

   2. the games themselves

6. 1. an open place, usually circular, in a town, where several streets converge

   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      Piccadilly Circus

7. informal noisy or rowdy behaviour

8. informal a person or group of people whose behaviour is wild, disorganized, or (esp unintentionally) comic

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circus Idioms  

1. see three-ring circus.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• circusy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• circuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of circus

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “circular region of the sky, oval space in which games were held,” akin to (or borrowed from) Greek kírkos “ring, circle”

Explanation

A circus is a group of many different performers, often including clowns, trapeze artists, and animal trainers. When the circus comes to town, you'll see a big, striped tent being set up for the show. The ringmaster of a circus has historically been a kind of narrator, calling for the audience's attention and announcing different entertainers. Traditional circuses have performing animals, clowns, and acrobats, while more contemporary circuses combine elements of theater, dance, acrobatics, and music. You can also use circus to mean "noisy, confused activity." In Latin, the word circus means "ring," and the Romans used it to describe the arenas in which performances took place.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circus circuses

But this summer's political circus is over and for Clacton it's back to normality.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Most of these miniatures and tone poems were inspired by Hopkins’ childhood — his parents, his hometown, the day the circus came.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Picasso talked about his parents, his family and all the circus people who informed his art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

They square the circle of Swift masterminding a full-scale trolling of media and fans while simultaneously hosting a cotton-candy celebrity circus.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

“Something about commissioning a piece for the circus, he was quite enthused about it before he left.”

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Although American families had been visiting small local circuses throughout the 19th century, the circuses of the 1880s and 1890s were bigger than ever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

It will be bread and circuses, only with no bread.

From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2024

My second takeaway is that bread and circuses — the Roman phrase for distracting the populace with spectacle — was in full force.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2024

But the way that circuses treat animals has upset many people.

From NewsForKids.net ● Apr. 23, 2024

Stella told me that some circuses move from town to town.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

Related Words

• festival
• spectacle