circus

American  

[sur-kuhs] / ˈsɜr kəs /

noun

plural

circuses

1. a large public entertainment, typically presented in one or more very large tents or in an outdoor or indoor arena, featuring exhibitions of pageantry, feats of skill and daring, performing animals, etc., interspersed throughout with the slapstick antics of clowns.

2. a troupe of performers, especially a traveling troupe, that presents such entertainments, together with officials, other employees, and the company's performing animals, traveling wagons, tents, cages, and equipment.

3. anything resembling such public entertainments, as an event or activity that is wildly active, disordered, sensational, etc..

   That whole trial was a circus.

4. a circular arena surrounded by tiers of seats, in which public entertainments are held; arena.

5. (in ancient Rome)

   1. a large, usually oblong or oval, roofless enclosure, surrounded by tiers of seats rising one above another, for chariot races, public games, etc.

   2. an entertainment given in this Roman arena, as a chariot race or public game.

      The Caesars appeased the public with bread and circuses.

6. anything resembling the Roman circus, or arena, as a natural amphitheater or a circular range of houses.

7. flying circus.

8. British. an open circle, square, or plaza where several streets converge.

   Piccadilly Circus.

9. Obsolete. a circlet or ring.

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circus British  

/ ˈsɜːkəs /

noun

1. a travelling company of entertainers such as acrobats, clowns, trapeze artistes, and trained animals

2. a public performance given by such a company

3. an oval or circular arena, usually tented and surrounded by tiers of seats, in which such a performance is held

4. a travelling group of professional sportsmen

   a cricket circus

5. 1. an open-air stadium, usually oval or oblong, for chariot races or public games

   2. the games themselves

6. 1. an open place, usually circular, in a town, where several streets converge

   2. ( capital when part of a name )

      Piccadilly Circus

7. informal noisy or rowdy behaviour

8. informal a person or group of people whose behaviour is wild, disorganized, or (esp unintentionally) comic

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circus Idioms  

1. see three-ring circus.

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Other Word Forms

• circusy adjective

Etymology

Origin of circus

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “circular region of the sky, oval space in which games were held,” akin to (or borrowed from) Greek kírkos “ring, circle”

Explanation

A circus is a group of many different performers, often including clowns, trapeze artists, and animal trainers. When the circus comes to town, you'll see a big, striped tent being set up for the show. The ringmaster of a circus has historically been a kind of narrator, calling for the audience's attention and announcing different entertainers. Traditional circuses have performing animals, clowns, and acrobats, while more contemporary circuses combine elements of theater, dance, acrobatics, and music. You can also use circus to mean "noisy, confused activity." In Latin, the word circus means "ring," and the Romans used it to describe the arenas in which performances took place.

Example Sentences

Quarterly reports today and tomorrow from five members of the Magnificent Seven will overshadow the usual media circus around today’s Federal Reserve meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

His crisp white shirts projected order and sophistication in the middle of the F1 circus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Duffy's Circus added that it was committed to making any reasonable adjustments for audience members and circus goers should flag any additional requirements in advance.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

The mother of an autistic child has said she was "embarrassed" into leaving a circus performance half way through because staff did not understand her son's behaviour.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

“How can you checkmate a circus? It doesn’t make any sense.”

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• festival
• spectacle