circa
Americanpreposition
preposition
Etymology
Origin of circa
First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin: “around, about,” akin to circus circus
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.
The short version is that even if you’re feeling less than patriotic under current conditions, the U.S. men’s national team, circa 2026, comes with high drama and an intriguing storyline.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Whatever the reasons, space stocks are melting up in a scenario that might remind investors of EVs circa 2020 and 2021.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
The California Military Academy spent a spectacular few of its early years, circa 1906, on the water at Santa Monica, leasing out the rambling Victorian pile that had once been the Arcadia Hotel.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
"Anyone with even the most rudimentary knowledge of leasehold knows that outright and immediate abolition of circa five million English and Welsh leases is almost certainly impossible."
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
A site for the Silicon Valley investor, circa 1996, was not a natural home for a sober-minded value investor.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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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.