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
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circulars
plural
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
Derived Forms
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circularitynoun
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circularnessnoun
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noncircularadjective
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subcircularadjective
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uncircularadjective
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circularlyadverb
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noncircularlyadverb
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subcircularlyadverb
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uncircularlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Built in 1951, the ranch-style residence spans more than 10,000 square feet and features five bedrooms, six fireplaces, an Art Deco-style movie theater, and a circular sunroom.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
"It is a huge issue and it's also a complex issue," says Joanna Czutkowna, director of 5thread and a doctoral researcher in sports apparel and the circular economy.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
In southern Madagascar, one particularly striking deposit forms a roughly circular feature that is easily distinguishable from the surrounding terrain.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
So, at the Arkansas Flag and Banner store, we decided on a smallish one that could fit in a circular base atop a newsroom cubicle.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
In 1538 the Wittenberg presses produced a new, elaborate version of the Melanchthon edition which included ‘volvelles’, paper instruments or illustrations with circular moving parts.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Dig through that stack of mail on your counter for circulars and search your email inbox for any grocery-store brand names to scope out advertised deals.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
If you’re looking for a specific brand or item, you can search for it instead of wading through dozens of printed circulars.
From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2025
The purpose of the circulars - or memos - is to provide police forces with guidance, policy updates and administrative instructions.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025
Nestled inside the supermarket circulars inside the Food section was an 11-by-17-inch sheet of glossy white paper, folded in half and covered with row after row of Montgomery County addresses.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2022
To earn money for cheap beds in cheap places, I handed out circulars and swept gas stations and shucked oysters, but my real job was running my mouth.
From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
