circular

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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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, 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.
   • Massinger

     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

• circular file
• circularity
• circular saw

Related terms

• circle
• semicircular

Translations

of or relating to a circle

• Asturian: circular
• Bengali: বৃত্তাকার, গোলাকার
• Bulgarian: кръгов (bg) (krǎgóv)
• Catalan: circular (ca)
• Esperanto: cirkla
• Finnish: ympyrä-
• German: Kreis- (de)
• Ido: cirkla (io), cirklala (io), cirklatra (io)

• Macedonian: кружен (krúžen)
• Pashto: ګرد (gërd)
• Portuguese: circular (pt)
• Romanian: circular (ro), de cerc
• Russian: круговой (ru) (krugovój)
• Scottish Gaelic: cearcaill
• Spanish: circular (es)
• Swedish: cirkulär (sv), compounds with cirkel (sv) c or ring (sv) c

in the shape of, or moving in a circle

• Asturian: circular
• Bulgarian: кръгъл (bg) (krǎ̀gǎl)
• Burmese: ဝိုင်း (my) (waing:)
• Catalan: circular (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 圓 (zh), 圆 (zh) (yuán)

• Finnish: ympyrän muotoinen, pyöreä (fi)
• French: rond (fr)
• Galician: circular (gl)
• Georgian: წრიული (criuli)
• German: rund (de)
• Greek: κυκλικός (el) (kyklikós)

• Irish: ciorclach
• Japanese: 丸い (ja) (まるい, marui)
• Macedonian: кружен (krúžen)
• Pashto: ګرد (gërd)
• Persian: دایره (fa)
• Portuguese: circular (pt), redondo (pt), arredondado (pt)
• Romanian: circular (ro)
• Russian: круглый (ru) (krúglyj), округлый (ru) (okrúglyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: cearclach
• Spanish: circular (es)
• Swedish: rund (sv), cirkulär (sv), cirkelformad, ringformad (sv)
• Volapük: sirkafomik (vo), klöpik (vo)

circuitous or roundabout

• Bulgarian: обиколен (bg) (obikolen)
• Finnish: kierto-, kiertelevä, epäsuora
• Macedonian: обиколен (obíkolen)

• Portuguese: circular (pt)
• Russian: окольный (ru) (okólʹnyj), кружной (ru) (kružnój), окружной (ru) (okružnój)

circular definition — see circular definition

distributed to a large number of persons

• Bulgarian: циркулярен (bg) (cirkuljáren)

• Russian: циркулярный (ru) (cirkuljárnyj)

Noun

circular (plural circulars)

1. A printed advertisement, directive, or notice intended for mass distribution; a flyer
2. In the Administration, a circular letter
3. (dated) A sleeveless cloak, cut in circular form.

Translations

notice for mass distribution

• Finnish: joukkokirje, lentolehtinen
• German: Rundschreiben (de) n
• Hebrew: פלייר m (fláyer)
• Japanese: 檄 (ja) (geki)

• Maori: mātārere
• Spanish: circular (es)
• Swedish: cirkulär (sv) n

circular letter

• Bulgarian: циркулярно писмо (cirkuljarno pismo)
• Esperanto: cirkulero
• Finnish: kiertokirje
• French: circulaire (fr)
• German: Rundschreiben (de) n, Zirkular n

• Ido: cirkulero (io)
• Irish: imlitir f
• Spanish: circular (es)
• Volapük: sirkülapenäd (vo)

See also

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

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Asturian

Adjective

circular (epicene, plural circulares)

1. circular

Related terms

• círculu

Verb

circular

1. to circle

Conjugation

Conjugation of circular

infinitive		circular
gerundive		circulando
participle		m circuláu, f circulada, n circulao, m pl circulaos, f pl circulaes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	circulo	circules	circula	circulamos	circuláis	circulen
	preterite imperfect	circulaba	circulabes	circulaba	circulábemos/circulábamos	circulabeis/circulabais	circulaben
	preterite indefinite	circulé	circulasti/circulesti	circuló	circulemos	circulastis/circulestis	circularon
	pluperfect	circulare/circulara	circulares/circularas	circulare/circulara	circuláremos/circuláramos	circulareis/circularais	circularen/circularan
	future	circularé	circularás	circulará	circularemos	circularéis	circularán
conditional		circularía	circularíes	circularía	circularíemos/circularíamos	circularíeis/circularíais	circularíen
subjunctive	present	circule	circules/circulas	circule	circulemos	circuléis	circulen/circulan
	preterite imperfect	circulare/circulara	circulares/circularas	circulare/circulara	circuláremos/circuláramos	circulareis/circularais	circularen/circularan
imperative			circula			circulái

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Galician

Adjective

circular m, f (plural circulares)

1. circular

Related terms

• círculo

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /siɾkuˈlaɾ/

Adjective

circular m, f (plural circulares; comparable)

1. circular, round

Noun

circular m (plural circulares)

1. circular (publication)

Verb

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

1. to circulate
2. to circle

Conjugation

  Conjugation of the Portuguese -ar verb circular

Notes:

• This is a regular verb of the -ar group.
• Verbs with this conjugation include: amar, cantar, gritar, marchar, mostrar, nadar, parar, participar, retirar, separar, viajar.

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	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele/ela/você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles/elas/vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	circular
Personal	circular	circulares	circular	circularmos	circulardes	circularem
Gerund
	circulando
Past participle
Masculine	circulado			circulados
Feminine	circulada			circuladas
Indicative
Present	circulo	circulas	circula	circulamos	circulais	circulam
Imperfect	circulava	circulavas	circulava	circulávamos	circuláveis	circulavam
Preterite	circulei	circulaste	circulou	circulamos circulámos	circulastes	circularam
Pluperfect	circulara	circularas	circulara	circuláramos	circuláreis	circularam
Future	circularei	circularás	circulará	circularemos	circulareis	circularão
Conditional	circularia	circularias	circularia	circularíamos	circularíeis	circulariam
Subjunctive
Present	circule	circules	circule	circulemos	circuleis	circulem
Imperfect	circulasse	circulasses	circulasse	circulássemos	circulásseis	circulassem
Future	circular	circulares	circular	circularmos	circulardes	circularem
Imperative
Affirmative	circule	circula	circule	circulemos	circulai	circulem
Negative (não)	circule	circules	circule	circulemos	circuleis	circulem

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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

Conjugation

    Conjugation of circular (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			circular
gerund			circulando
past participle			circulado
		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

¹ Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.