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

There is little doubt that a crumbling Egyptian economy circa 1,100 B.C. prompted the country’s early leadership to loot the tombs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

It was beyond disconcerting to hear the Iranian foreign minister on Sunday sounding like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky circa 2022.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

Though overwhelmingly orchestral, they nevertheless embrace the warm sun and tight community that defines the story’s setting in Clarksdale, Mississippi, circa 1932.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

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

From MarketWatch • Nov. 6, 2025

He’d programmed it to look like a large suburban rec room, circa the late 1980s.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline