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circulate

[ sur-kyuh-leyt ]
/ ˈsɜr kyəˌleɪt /
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See synonyms for: circulate / circulated / circulating / circulatory on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing.
to move in a circle or circuit; move or pass through a circuit back to the starting point: Blood circulates throughout the body.
to pass from place to place, from person to person, etc.: She circulated among her guests.
to be distributed or sold, especially over a wide area.
Library Science. (of books and other materials) to be available for borrowing by patrons of a library for a specified period of time.
verb (used with object), cir·cu·lat·ed, cir·cu·lat·ing.
to cause to pass from place to place, person to person, etc.; disseminate; distribute: to circulate a rumor.
Library Science. to lend (books and other materials) to patrons of a library for a specified period of time.
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Origin of circulate

1425–75 for earlier senses; 1665–75 for current senses; late Middle English <Latin circulātus (past participle of circulārī to gather round one, Medieval Latin circulāre to encircle), equivalent to circul(us) circle + -ātus-ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM circulate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to circulate

broadcast, disperse, disseminate, distribute, publicize, publish, spread, rotate, travel, diffuse, exchange, interview, issue, promulgate, propagate, radiate, report, strew, troll, actuate

How to use circulate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for circulate

circulate
/ (ˈsɜːkjʊˌleɪt) /
verb
to send, go, or pass from place to place or person to persondon't circulate the news
to distribute or be distributed over a wide area
to move or cause to move through a circuit, system, etc, returning to the starting pointblood circulates through the body
to move in a circlethe earth circulates around the sun

Derived forms of circulate

circulative, adjectivecirculator, nouncirculatory, adjective

Word Origin for circulate

C15: from Latin circulārī to assemble in a circle, from circulus circle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for circulate

circulate
[ sûr′kyə-lāt′ ]
To move in or flow through a circle or a circuit. Blood circulates through the body as it flows out from the heart to the tissues and back again.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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