circular

CEFRB1

/ˈsɜː.kjə.lə/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

01
adjective
Shaped like a circle or moving around in a circle.
02
adjective
Using a message or document sent to many people.

Examples

Only in philosophy can you use a circular argument and get praised for it.
The house looks circular, but it isn't a complete circle.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses: 5
Parts of speech: 1
Citations: 5
Synonyms: 5

Also pronounced

/ˈsər.k(j)ʊ.lər/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

Circuitous or roundabout.
In the shape of, or moving in, a circle.
Of or relating to a circle.

More examples

In context

Your dictionary defines "brave" as "courageous", and "courageous" as "brave". That's a circular definition.
Near-synonyms: oval; round; toroid, ringlike, round-like
circular reasoning

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The pizza box was blank, not square like most takeout containers.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Citations

The word in print, with each source given in full.

It must be conceded that this definition (the definition of tort) is somewhat circular, but it is the only one that will suffice.
2019, Paulia Giliker, chapter 1, in Tort, Eighth edition, Thompson Reuters, →ISBN, What is tort? (section 1-002), page 2
Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
a proclamation of Henry III., […] doubtless circular throughout England
1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC
The pigeon-hole was also stuffed with circulars and hand-bills.
1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 40
The result of the sending of these notices confirms me in the opinion, that it will be necessary to adopt legal means with the great majority of these parties. The circulars have had little effect. In fact, the parties have been “circulared" into the notion that nothing more formidable will ever be sent to them.
1851, G. W. Muir, Report on the State of Engine and Other Furnaces, page 19

Keep circular

Looking a word up is the easy part. LexUp remembers which words you have met and brings them back at the point you were about to forget them.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Origin

adjective

From Middle English circuler, circuleer, circulere, from Old French circulier (French circulaire), from Late Latin circularis, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus (“ring”). By surface analysis, circle + -ar.

Deep Dive

adjective

More examples

Related

Quick test

The pizza box was blank—, not square like most takeout containers.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

The pizza box was blank, not square like most takeout containers.