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

I’m old enough to remember when the King was on tour—my older brother and my father attended one of his shows, circa 1975, at the Springfield Civic Center in Massachusetts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

“Chief Moore’s failure to initiate a complaint circa 2018-2021 against Palka compromised the investigation and allowed Palka to avoid criminal charges,” Turner wrote in the complaint obtained by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

As Steph brilliantly frames it, welcome to the subprime auto-lending sector, circa late 2025.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 6, 2025

That’s right, the so-called rock-n-roll comfort food king — but more accurately the extremely unhealthy-looking, ear-splitting maniac who thinks he’s fronting a college garage band circa 1995.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2014

“What about this? It isn’t a reproduction. This is the real deal, circa 1975. Still here after all these years and not faded a bit.”

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry