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Webster 1913 Edition

Circular

Cir′cu-lar

,
Adj.
[L.
circularis
, fr.
circulus
circle: cf. F.
circulaire
. See
Circle
.]
1.
In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round.
2.
repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive;
as,
circular
reasoning
.
3.
Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See
Cyclic poets
, under
Cyclic
.
Had Virgil been a
circular
poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido?
Dennis.
4.
Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for circulation;
as, a
circular
letter
.
A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless
circular
throughout England.
Hallam.
5.
Perfect; complete.
[Obs.]
A man so absolute and
circular

In all those wished-for rarities that may take
A virgin captive.
Massinger.
Circular are
,
any portion of the circumference of a circle.
–
Circular cubics
(Math.)
,
curves of the third order which are imagined to pass through the two circular points at infinity.
–
Circular functions
.
(Math.)
See under
Function
.
–
Circular instruments
,
mathematical instruments employed for measuring angles, in which the graduation extends round the whole circumference of a circle, or 360°.
–
Circular lines
,
straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc.
–
Circular note
or Circular letter
.
(a)
(Com.)
See under
Credit
.
(b)
(Diplomacy)
A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of persons.
–
Circular numbers
(Arith.)
,
those whose powers terminate in the same digits as the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36.
Bailey.
Barlow.
–
Circular points at infinity
(Geom.)
,
two imaginary points at infinite distance through which every circle in the plane is, in the theory of curves, imagined to pass.
–
Circular polarization
.
(Min.)
See under
Polarization
.
–
Circular sailing
or
Globular sailing
(Naut.)
,
the method of sailing by the arc of a great circle.
–
Circular saw
.
See under
Saw
.

Cir′cu-lar

,
Noun.
[Cf. (for sense 1) F.
circulaire
, lettre
circulaire
. See
Circular
,
Adj.
]
1.
A circular letter, or paper, usually printed, copies of which are addressed or given to various persons;
as, a business
circular
.
2.
A sleeveless cloak, cut in circular form.

Webster 1828 Edition

Circular

CIRCULAR

, a.
1.
In the form of a circle; round; circumscribed by a circle; spherical; as, the sun appears to be circular.
2.
Successive in order; always returning.
3.
Vulgar; mean; circumforaneous; as a circular poet.
4.
Ending in itself; used of a paralogism, where the second proposition at once proves the first, and is proved by it.
5.
Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; as a circular letter.
6.
Circular lines, such straight lines as are divided from the divisions made in the arch of a circle; as the lines of sines, tangents and secants, on the plain scale and sector.
7.
Circular numbers, are those whose powers terminate in the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36.
8.
Circular sailing, is the method of sailing by the arch of a great circle.

CIRCULAR

,
Noun.
A circular letter, or paper.

Definition 2024

circular

circular

English

Adjective

circular ‎(comparative more circular, superlative most circular)

  1. Of or relating to a circle.
  2. In the shape of, or moving in a circle.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      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.
  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.
    • Hallam
      a proclamation of Henry III., […] doubtless circular throughout England
  6. (obsolete) Perfect; complete.
    • Philip Massinger, Maid of Honour (1632), act I, scene 2:
      A man so absolute and circular / In all those wished-for rarities that may take / A virgin captive.
  7. (archaic) Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior.
    • Dennis
      Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido?

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

circular ‎(plural circulars)

  1. A printed advertisement, directive, or notice intended for mass distribution; a flyer
  2. In administration, a circular letter
  3. (dated) A sleeveless cloak, cut in circular form.
  4. A shuttle bus that runs in a loop.

Translations

See also

Asturian

Adjective

circular (epicene, plural circulares)

  1. circular

Related terms

Verb

circular

  1. to circle

Conjugation

Catalan

Adjective

circular m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural circulars)

  1. circular

Noun

circular f ‎(plural circulars)

  1. circular

Verb

circular ‎(first-person singular present circulo, past participle circulat)

  1. to circulate

Conjugation

Galician

Adjective

circular m, f (plural circulares)

  1. circular

Related terms

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Adjective

circular m, f ‎(plural circulares, comparable)

  1. circular, round

Noun

circular m (plural circulares)

  1. circular (publication)

Etymology 2

Verb

circular ‎(first-person singular present indicative circulo, past participle circulado)

  1. to circulate
  2. to circle
Conjugation

Spanish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin circulāris.

Adjective

circular m, f ‎(plural circulares)

  1. circular

Noun

circular f ‎(plural circulares)

  1. circular (advertisement)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Latin circulāre, present active infinitive of circulō.

Verb

circular ‎(first-person singular present circulo, first-person singular preterite circulé, past participle circulado)

  1. to circulate
  2. to go round, move around
  3. to scram, clear off
Conjugation
    Conjugation of circular (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)edit data
infinitive circular
gerund circulando
past participle masculine feminine
singular circulado circulada
plural circulados circuladas
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
indicative yo tú
vos		 él/ella
usted		 nosotros
nosotras		 vosotros
vosotras		 ellos/ellas
ustedes
present circulo circulastú
circulásvos 		circula circulamos circuláis circulan
imperfect circulaba circulabas circulaba circulábamos circulabais circulaban
preterite circulé circulaste circuló circulamos circulasteis circularon
future circularé circularás circulará circularemos circularéis circularán
conditional circularía circularías circularía circularíamos circularíais circularían
subjunctive yo tú
vos		 él/ella
usted		 nosotros
nosotras		 vosotros
vosotras		 ellos/ellas
ustedes
present circule circulestú
circulésvos1 		circule circulemos circuléis circulen
imperfect
(ra)		 circulara circularas circulara circuláramos circularais circularan
imperfect
(se)		 circulase circulases circulase circulásemos circulaseis circulasen
future circulare circulares circulare circuláremos circulareis circularen
imperative — tú
vos		 usted nosotros
nosotras		 vosotros
vosotras		 ustedes
affirmative circulatú
circulávos 		circule circulemos circulad circulen
negative no circules no circule no circulemos no circuléis no circulen
1Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French circulier, from Latin circularis, from circulus, diminutive of circus ‎(“ring”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsɜː(ɹ)k.jə.lə(ɹ)/

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