Synonyms

circa

American

[sur-kuh] / ˈsɜr kə /

preposition

about: used especially in approximate dates: ca, ca., c., c, cir., circ.

The Venerable Bede was born circa 673.

circa British

/ ˈsɜːkə /

preposition

Abbreviation: c., ca.. (used with a date) at the approximate time of

circa 1182 bc.

"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

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.

See Examples For:

circa

Say what you will about the Democratic establishment circa 2026.

From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026

It said archaeological trenches dug near the route of the underground cable "contained the rim of an inverted pottery vessel whose fabric suggests a Bronze Age collared urn circa 1700-1500BC, typically associated with human burial".

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

A highlight is a circa 1874 Haine Brothers solid rosewood square grand piano.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Charlotte was cleaning out her parents’ garage last summer when she found a box of catalogs, circa 1996–1999. dELiA*s, MoxieGirl, Alloy — they were all there.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 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