circular

Of or relating to a circle.

Adjective

  1. Of or relating to a circle.
  2. In the shape of, or moving in, a circle.
    • Near-synonyms: oval; round; toroid, ringlike, round-like
    • 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...

    Synonyms: annular ring-shaped O-shaped oval round toroid ringlike round-like

    Coordinate Terms: semicircular hemicircular egg-shaped ovoid

  3. Circuitous or roundabout.
  4. Referring back to itself, so as to prevent computation or comprehension; infinitely recursive.
    • circular reasoning
    • Your dictionary defines "brave" as "courageous", and "courageous" as "brave". That's a circular definition.
    • a circular formula in a spreadsheet
  5. Distributed to a large number of persons.
    • 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...
  6. Perfect; complete.
    • A man so absolute and circular / In all those wished-for rarities that may take / A virgin captive. - 1632, Philip Massinger, Maid of Honour, act I, scene 2:
  7. Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior.
    • February 1, 1711, John Dennis, on the Genius and Writings of Shakespeare Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido?

Origin

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.

Forms

more circular most circular

Synonyms

annular circular cyclic discoid round rounded

Antonyms

sharp square thin

Hypernyms

shape

Hyponyms

recursive rotund spherical

Related

circle circular file circular firing squad circular saw

Derived

anticircular bicircular circular angle circular arc circular argument circular breathing circular buffer circular cone circular dichroism circular economy circular fashion circular file circular filing cabinet circular function circular graph Circular Head circularin circularise circularism circularity circularization circularize circular knitting circularly

Noun

  1. An advertisement, directive or notice intended for mass circulation.
    • 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:

    Synonyms: flyer

  2. Ellipsis of circular letter.
  3. Ellipsis of circular file.
  4. A sleeveless cloak cut from a circular pattern.
  5. A shuttle bus with a circular route.

Forms

circulars

Related

advertisement booklet brochure catalogue catalog flier flyer handbill hand bill junk mail leaflet pamphlet

Verb

  1. To distribute circulars to or at.
    • 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...
    • It is true, that, to obtain these, some six hundred or more institutions were circulared, and a good many of these a second time. - 1873, Old and new - Volume 8, page 101:
    • I do not mean to say we have never employed some of them who come to us—but we have never circulared agents or gone after them. - 1909, American Life Convention, Report of the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the...
  2. To extend in a circular direction.
    • The theme can be expressed in an architectural analogy. For, of all contriving to encover space, the arch — alone or 'circulared' into the dome — is the most ingenious. - 2008, Donald E. Wagner, Kenneth Cragg, Dying in...

Forms

circulars circularing circulared