circumscription

[ sur-kuhm-skrip-shuhn ]

/ ˌsɜr kəmˈskrɪp ʃən /

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See synonyms for circumscription on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act or instance of circumscribing.

circumscribed state; limitation.

anything that circumscribes, surrounds, or encloses; boundary.

periphery; outline.

a circumscribed area.

a circular inscription on a coin, seal, etc.

limitation of a meaning; definition.

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Origin of circumscription

1375–1425; late Middle English <Latin circumscrīptiōn- (stem of circumscrīptiō), equivalent to circumscrīpt(us) (past participle of circumscrībere to circumscribe; see circum-, script) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM circumscription

cir·cum·scrip·tive, adjectivecir·cum·scrip·tive·ly, adverbnon·cir·cum·scrip·tive, adjective

Words nearby circumscription

circumradius, circumrotate, circumscissile, circumscribe, circumscript, circumscription, circumsolar, circumspect, circumspection, circumspective, circumspectly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use circumscription in a sentence

Of that mystery, of that local circumscription—in what sense it was effected, in what sense not effected, we know nothing.
The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 1 (2 vols)|Thomas De Quincey
Aveyron belongs to the 16th military region, and to the acadmie or educational circumscription of Toulouse.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1|Various
One short distribution and circumscription of historical ages will soon place matters in a more hopeful aspect.
The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. II (2 vols)|Thomas De Quincey
The defect in the work of the Dialect Society lies in a somewhat similar circumscription of activity.
The American Language|Henry L. Mencken

In educational matters it falls within the circumscription of the acadmie of Toulouse.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for circumscription

circumscription

/ (ˌsɜːkəmˈskrɪpʃən) /

noun

the act of circumscribing or the state of being circumscribed

something that limits or encloses

a circumscribed space

an inscription around a coin or medal

Derived forms of circumscription

circumscriptive, adjectivecircumscriptively, adverb

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

circumscription

Origin of circumscription

OTHER WORDS FROM circumscription

Words nearby circumscription

Words related to circumscription

How to use circumscription in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for circumscription

Derived forms of circumscription