circularity

American  

[sur-kyuh-lar-i-tee] / ˌsɜr kyəˈlær ɪ ti /

Rarely circularness

noun

1. the state or quality of being in the shape or form of a circle.

   Circularity is the measurement of the roundness of the individual coins.

   Her tasseled yellow hijab accentuated the almost complete circularity of her face.

2. the state or quality of moving or occurring in a cycle.

   Detritus ecosystems flourish and collapse because they lack the sustaining circularity of other kinds of ecosystems.

   The circularity of history provides instruction, correction, and guidance.

3. (of reasoning or logic) the quality of having a conclusion that has been assumed as a premise.

   Despite the apparent circularity, the implication that "public goods should be public" seems like a natural one.

   Circularity is the hallmark of this chain of reasoning, which appears to conflate the process of creating the rule with the process of justifying it.

4. the practice of encouraging reuse, recycling, or sustainability in consumption, manufacturing, etc..

   For the coming year, we intend to focus on sustainability and on closing the loop and bringing circularity into our purchasing and consuming behavior.

   Several new technologies are enabling infrastructure to be designed with greater circularity.

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Other Word Forms

• subcircularity noun

Etymology

Origin of circularity

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin circulāritas , equivalent to circular ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

OpenAI’s relationship with Nvidia has epitomized concerns about circularity in artificial-intelligence deals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

In a neat moment of circularity, Williams' record-breaking album harks back to the start of his solo career, and the period when he nearly lost himself.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Since Nvidia agreed last month to invest $100 billion in its customer OpenAI, investors and analysts who follow artificial intelligence have awakened to that industry’s circularity.

From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025

Cambio isn't the first single-serve coffee company to opt to ditch plastic or invest in circularity.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2024

All I know is this: despite my androgenized brain, there’s an innate feminine circularity in the story I have to tell.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• chain reaction
• vicious cycle