Dictionary.com

circumference

[ ser-kuhm-fer-uhns ]
/ sərˈkʌm fər əns /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for circumference on Thesaurus.com

noun

the outer boundary, especially of a circular area; perimeter: the circumference of a circle.
the length of such a boundary: a one-mile circumference.
the area within a bounding line: the vast circumference of his mind.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
their
there
they're
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of circumference

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin circumferentia, equivalent to circum-circum- + fer- (stem of ferre to carry) + -entia-ence

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH circumference

circumference , diameter, radius, tangent

Words nearby circumference

circumcircle, circumcise, circumcision, circumcolumnar, circumduction, circumference, circumferential, circumferential fibrocartilage, circumferential lamella, circumferentor, circumfix
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to circumference

girth, ambit, outline, extremity, margin, fringe, confines, rim, lip, periphery, circuit, compass, boundary, border, verge, limits, bounds

Example sentences from the Web for circumference

British Dictionary definitions for circumference

circumference
/ (səˈkʌmfərəns) /

noun

the boundary of a specific area or geometric figure, esp of a circle
the length of a closed geometric curve, esp of a circle. The circumference of a circle is equal to the diameter multiplied by π

Derived forms of circumference

circumferential (səˌkʌmfəˈrɛnʃəl), adjectivecircumferentially, adverb

Word Origin for circumference

C14: from Old French circonference, from Latin circumferre to carry around, from circum- + ferre to bear
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for circumference

circumference
[ sər-kŭm′fər-əns ]

The boundary line of a circle.
The boundary line of a figure, area, or object.
The length of such a boundary. The circumference of a circle is computed by multiplying the diameter by pi.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for circumference

circumference
[ (suhr-kum-fuhr-uhns) ]

The measure of the distance around a circle.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
See Today's Synonym