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

See Examples For:

in circulation

This makes it harder for certain large molecules to reach the cells responsible for clearing them, allowing more of these substances to remain in circulation.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

A treaty limiting future development wouldn’t remove models already in circulation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Adding to the volatility, hedge funds had piled into US government bonds like never before, holding 7 percent of all those in circulation at the end of 2025, though that share has since fallen.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

Researchers suspect the genetic difference may influence how effectively the kidneys remove ImP from the blood, affecting how much of the compound remains in circulation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 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

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Related Words

• modern
• ongoing
• present
• prevailing

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