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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.

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

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

Banknotes with the late Queen Elizabeth II also remain in circulation.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

On Wednesday, Circle said its flagship stablecoin, USDC, ended 2025 with $75.3 billion in circulation, up 72% from a year ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Based on these findings, researchers suggest that longer races may lead to greater loss of red blood cells and more damage to those that remain in circulation.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

According to Jimmy, there’s a two-dollar bill in circulation for every twelve one-dollar bills.

From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead

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.