small circle

American  

noun

1. a circle on a sphere, the plane of which does not pass through the center of the sphere.

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small circle British  

noun

1. a circular section of a sphere that does not contain the centre of the sphere Compare great circle

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Etymology

Origin of small circle

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The source said they were not part of that small circle.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

At age 39, Jordan joins a small circle of Black actors who have won the prestigious best actor Oscar, after Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

William Abrams of the Utility Wildfire Survivor Coalition detailed in a filing how the present laws had been shaped by the utilities and “a small circle of well-resourced legal and financial actors.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

As time passes and several grow less independent—exiled to assisted-living facilities outside the city—their small circle starts to break apart.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Behind a darkened window, Helmuth sits at Oma's kitchen table in a small circle of light.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti