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.

---

Example Sentences

They remain legal tender but not in circulation, as they are largely kept by private currency collectors.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The US embassy in New Delhi told AFP that "thousands of tuk-tuks currently in circulation will be sponsored to showcase messages celebrating America's 250th birthday".

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

This system came under strain in the 1960s “when the volume of U.S. dollars in circulation exceeded domestic gold reserves redeemable at fixed value, leading to periodic runs on the dollar in foreign exchange.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Animals traded through global wildlife markets are far more likely to carry diseases that can infect humans, and the risk grows the longer those species remain in circulation, according to a new study.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Walkmans had started appearing at Hailsham since the previous year’s Sales and by that summer there were at least six of them in circulation.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• modern
• ongoing
• present
• prevailing