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

See Examples For:

in circulation

The sheer number of guns in circulation, endemic corruption, lax enforcement of laws in all walks of life, the glorification of guns and a decades-long military culture are all contributing factors.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with around 10 million firearms estimated to be in circulation -- one for every seven inhabitants.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Widespread market challenges continue to pressure digital revenue, while the decline in circulation volume widened, the analysts note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

After all, the value of physical U.S. currency in circulation today stands at over US$2.46 trillion, an all-time high.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Thus the number of apostrophes in circulation remains constant, even if this means we have double the reason to go and bang our heads against a wall.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

Related Words

• modern
• ongoing
• present
• prevailing