circular

American  

[sur-kyuh-ler] / ˈsɜr kjə lər /

adjective

1. having the form of a circle; round.

   a circular tower.

2. of or relating to a circle.

   a circular plane.

3. moving in or forming a circle or a circuit.

   the circular rotation of the earth.

4. moving or occurring in a cycle or round.

   the circular succession of the seasons.

5. roundabout; indirect; circuitous.

   a circular route.

6. 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.

7. pertaining to a circle or set of persons.

8. (of a letter, memorandum, etc.) addressed to a number of persons or intended for general circulation.

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noun

• circulars
  plural

1. Also circ a letter, advertisement, notice, or statement for circulation among the general public.

   Synonyms:

   leaflet, flier, handbill

circular British  

/ ˈsɜːkjʊlə, ˌsɜːkjʊˈlærɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, involving, resembling, or shaped like a circle

2. circuitous

3. (of arguments) futile because the truth of the premises cannot be established independently of the conclusion

4. travelling or occurring in a cycle

5. (of letters, announcements, etc) intended for general distribution

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noun

1. a printed or duplicated advertisement or notice for mass distribution

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• circularity
  noun
• circularness
  noun
• noncircular
  adjective
• subcircular
  adjective
• uncircular
  adjective
• circularly
  adverb
• noncircularly
  adverb
• subcircularly
  adverb
• uncircularly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• circulars
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circular circulars

Huang says the new funding structure addresses concerns about circular financing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

By using institutional investors, Huang said the deal is designed to avoid concerns of circular financing for the AI buildout.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

At the nearby St John's Way estate, the houses are arranged in circular terraced blocks with large courtyards.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

“I think the process of making that has been a very circular healing process for all of us,” Buckingham said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Emily loomed behind him in high definition like a circular saw looking for something to cut in two.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

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 Home Office says all memos and circulars to police forces are published online in the National Archives.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025

These Whig circulars were published between 1720 and 1723 and emphasized the glory of England, especially its commitment to liberty.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014

On the car past the calliope a Farmer’s Friend wind stacker blew out circulars and handbills instead of chaff.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck