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.

---

circa British  

/ ˈsɜːkə /

preposition

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

   circa 1182 bc.

---

Etymology

Origin of circa

First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin: “around, about,” akin to circus circus

Example Sentences

This circa 1636 painting is among Peter Paul Rubens’s last great works, a lovely vision of rural life crowned by a sweeping, colorful arc.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 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

Arc bring some $1.5 billion in annual free cash flow, while the Canadian company’s circa $1.3 billion in capital expenditure can be fully absorbed into Shell’s spending plans, Wilson says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Aiken rose to fame as the earnest, vocally gifted runner-up on “American Idol” circa 2003.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

One was a thin girl in a black bathing suit who was having a lot of trouble putting up an orange umbrella at Jones Beach, circa 1936.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger