in circulation

Idioms  

1. Also, into circulation. In business or social life, especially after a period of absence. For example, After a month in the hospital Bill was eager to get back in circulation. The antonym is out of circulation, as in Since we had twins we've been out of circulation, but we're hoping to get out more often soon. These expressions, dating from the first half of the 1900s, employ circulation in the sense of “making the rounds among people,” a usage dating from the 1600s.

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Example Sentences

“We know that we have a mutation ... which may make the flu vaccine work less well. But the vaccine still offers excellent protection against hospitalization and death, even with the mutated strain in circulation.”

From Los Angeles Times

The phrase has been in circulation for decades, used most prominently by Ronald Reagan during his presidency.

From Salon

The dominant variant in circulation this year is new.

From MarketWatch

My mom grabs her iPhone—maybe the oldest iPhone still in circulation—and waves her hand for me to get over in front of the plants.

From Literature

According to the study, published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, expanding routine screening could help detect most people living with this genetic condition and ultimately reduce the likelihood of severe outcomes.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• modern
• ongoing
• present
• prevailing