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Synonyms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

They have a fixed amount of shares in circulation — hence they are closed-ended, as opposed to “open-ended” mutual funds and ETFs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 12, 2026

Beach noted that the design would differ from Trump images being planned for two other coins, a $1 piece that would be in circulation, and a one-ounce gold one.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Department of State, there are roughly 183 million passports in circulation as of 2025.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

And dollar bills that were backed by the gold standard, which were no longer in circulation, had been found mixed in.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.