circum-

¹ American  

1. a prefix with the meaning “round about, around,” found in Latin loanwords, especially derivatives of verbs that had the general senses “to encompass or surround” (circumference; circumjacent; circumstance ) or “to go around” by the means or in the manner specified by the verb (circumnavigate; circumscribe ); on this basis forming adjectives in English with the meaning “surrounding” that named by the stem (circumocular; circumpolar ).

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circum. ² American  

abbreviation

1. circumference.

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circum- British  

prefix

1. around; surrounding; on all sides

   circumlocution

   circumrotate

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circum– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “around”, as in circumscribe, to draw a figure around another figure.

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Etymology

Origin of circum-

From Latin circum “around” (accusative of circus; circus, circle ), originally as an adverb fixed in relation to the verb, later construed as a prefix

Example Sentences

“It got me thinking about the roots of the word ‘circumstance,’ which are ‘circum,’ meaning ‘circle,’ and ‘stance,’ or standing, I thought, wow, how apropos that was.”

From Los Angeles Times

He and more than 1,000 other immigrants in similar circum­stances say they should have a chance to return to their homes and families while fighting deportation.

From Washington Post

For another, a conversation, under these circum­stances, is an intimate act that calls for more delicacy than “be blunt.”

From New York Times

She chatted to the school counsellor and was assured they were doing admirably well under the circum­stances, which made her feel good.

From The Guardian

They tend to say, in one way or another, that their rescuers were guided by a sense of humanity that transcended or defied the circum­stances.

From Slate