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Synonyms

circumference

American  
[ser-kuhm-fer-uhns] / sərˈkʌm fər əns /

noun

  1. the outer boundary, especially of a circular area; perimeter.

    the circumference of a circle.
    Synonyms:
    circuit, periphery

  2. the length of such a boundary.

    a one-mile circumference.

  3. the area within a bounding line.

    the vast circumference of his mind.
circumference British  
/ səˌkʌmfəˈrɛnʃəl, səˈkʌmfərəns /

noun

  1. the boundary of a specific area or geometric figure, esp of a circle

  2. the length of a closed geometric curve, esp of a circle. The circumference of a circle is equal to the diameter multiplied by π

"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
circumference Scientific  
/ sər-kŭm′fər-əns /

  1. The boundary line of a circle.

  2. The boundary line of a figure, area, or object.

  3. The length of such a boundary. The circumference of a circle is computed by multiplying the diameter by pi.

circumference Cultural  

  1. The measure of the distance around a circle.

Other Word Forms

  • circumferential adjective
  • circumferentially adverb

Etymology

Origin of circumference

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

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.

Patients also showed improvements relative to placebo on key secondary goals of the trial including waist circumference, blood glucose and blood pressure, they added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Other anthropomorphic measures -- including waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio -- can provide additional insight by distinguishing fat mass from muscle and identifying abdominal fat linked to disease risk.

From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025

The country has the world's largest rail network -- one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

But the sheer sort of circumference of the dress makes her a woman who comes into a room and takes up space.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

On his hands and knees, he drags the aerial around the circumference of the cellar, as though roping Volkheimer into the golden armchair.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.