circular
Americanadjective
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having the form of a circle; round.
a circular tower.
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of or relating to a circle.
a circular plane.
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moving in or forming a circle or a circuit.
the circular rotation of the earth.
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moving or occurring in a cycle or round.
the circular succession of the seasons.
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roundabout; indirect; circuitous.
a circular route.
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Logic. of or relating to reasoning in which the conclusion is ostensibly proved, but in actuality it or its equivalent has been assumed as a premise.
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pertaining to a circle or set of persons.
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(of a letter, memorandum, etc.) addressed to a number of persons or intended for general circulation.
noun
adjective
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of, involving, resembling, or shaped like a circle
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circuitous
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(of arguments) futile because the truth of the premises cannot be established independently of the conclusion
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travelling or occurring in a cycle
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(of letters, announcements, etc) intended for general distribution
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of circular
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin circulāris, equivalent to circul(us), circlus “a circular form or figure; a ring or circle” + -āris adjective suffix; see origin at circle, -ar 1
Explanation
If something is circular, it has a round shape. You might take a circular route on your jog, running all the way around the park. You can build a circular fence around your garden, or pipe frosting flowers in a circular design on top of a birthday cake. Look at either from above, and they form circles. In logic, a circular argument is one that ends up exactly where it started — you assume something, rather than proving it. A paper advertisement can also be called a circular, from the idea that it's distributed to a certain circle, or group, of people.
Vocabulary lists containing circular
Geometry - Introductory
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Geometry (Base List)
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Measurement and Data
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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.
To observe this, the scientists used ultra-strong terahertz laser pulses to drive one vibration into a circular motion.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
This whole ecosystem is massively circular; and while those circular dynamics clearly have a lot of momentum, that, in itself, isn’t enough for medium-term sustainability.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
As the trains approach, circular lights embedded in the platform edge begin to pulse white.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
But writing these checks is costly and fuels a circular investment cycle that makes it difficult to determine whether demand for Nvidia’s chips is economically organic or inflated by its own capital, according to analysts.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Between whoops, the children nibbled on flat, circular cakes.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
