circumference
American
noun
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the boundary of a specific area or geometric figure, esp of a circle
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the length of a closed geometric curve, esp of a circle. The circumference of a circle is equal to the diameter multiplied by π
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The boundary line of a circle.
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The boundary line of a figure, area, or object.
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The length of such a boundary. The circumference of a circle is computed by multiplying the diameter by pi.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of circumference
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin circumferentia, equivalent to circum- circum- + fer- (stem of ferre to carry) + -entia -ence
Explanation
The distance around a circle is called the circumference, and although circumference is often used when talking about round things, it can mean a boundary of any shape that completely surrounds something. It’s no coincidence that the first part of circumference looks like circle. The Latin word circum means “around,” and the root ferre is the Latin verb for “carry,” so imagine carrying a puppy around a circle pit of lava: the path you walk is the circumference. If you want to buy a new hat, you’ll need to measure the circumference of your head, and patrolling the circumference of your castle is a good way to protect against dragons.
Vocabulary lists containing circumference
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 1
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Pi Day Vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
A 2024 review found that intermittent fasting may be associated with small reductions in waist circumference and fat mass in people who are overweight or obese.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Where body fat accumulates can be important for health, which is one reason waist circumference can provide information that BMI alone does not capture.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
Even when used on its own, waist circumference performed nearly as well.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
Earlier results from the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial showed that adding a daily avocado did not reduce body weight or waist circumference in people with obesity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
“I hope you’re hungry. My head has a circumference of twenty-four inches,” Petra shouted over the wind, and they all laughed.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
The helmets are marked as large, for head circumferences between 22.5 to 25 inches.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 10, 2023
Drips are indulged, or even encouraged, and rings of painted dots often trace the circumferences of larger orbs.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2022
During an inspection Dec. 15, Sampson observed “numerous” branches with 2- to 8-inch circumferences that were severed by the aerial saw and allowed to fall from 150 feet above, according to the violation notice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2022
A meager set is a set contained in the countable union of nowhere dense sets, such as the circumference of a circle in the plane, or finitely or countably many such circumferences.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 16, 2021
Thus the power applied to the axle is carried at once to the parts of the wheels of least stress—the circumferences.
From The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction Volume 14, No. 391, September 26, 1829 by Various
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