circum-

See also: circum

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin circum-.

Prefix

circum-

1. around, surrounding

Synonyms

• (around): peri-, para-

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with circum-

circumabdominal

circumacetabular

circumadjacent

circumagitate

circumambages

circumambience

circumambient

circumambulate

circumambulation

circumanal

circumantennal

circumaortic

circumapical

circumarctic

circumareolar

circumarticular

circumaural

circumaxial

circumaxile

circumbenzene

circumbinary

circumblastoporal

circumboreal

circumbuccal

circumburst

circumcallosal

circumcapitular

circumcellular

circumcenter

circumcentral

circumcentric

circumcerebral

circumciliary

circumcircle

circumarene

circumbendibus

circumduction

circumflect

circumincession

circummure

circumplasm

circumcloacal

circumcolumnar

circumcommissural

circumcorneal

circumcoronene

circumcranial

circumdenudation

circumdiameter

circumequatorial

circumequatorially

circumerosion

circumesophageal

circumfix

circumfixation

circumfoveal

circumfulgent

circumfuse

circumgalactic

circumgastric

circumgenital

circumglabellar

circumglobal

circumgyrate

circumgyration

circumgyratory

circumhorizon

circumhorizontal

circuminsular

circumintestinal

circumjovial

circumjovian

circumlaryngeal

circumlental

circumlenticular

circumlimbal

circumlinear

circumlittoral

circumlocution

circumlucid

circumlunar

circummandibular

circummarginal

circummarginate

circummartian

circummaxillary

circummediterranean

circummedullary

circummeridian

circummultiple

circummundane

circumnarial

circumnasal

circumnatal

circumnavigable

circumnavigate

circumnavigation

circumneutral

circumnuclear

circumnutate

circumnutation

circumocular

circumoral

circumorbital

circumoval

circumpapillary

circumparasitic

circumpass

circumpeduncular

circumpeninsular

circumpharyngeal

circumplanetary

circumplex

circumplical

circumpolar

circumpolarity

circumpolarly

circumpolloid

circumposition

circumprimary

circumpromontorial

circumpubertal

circumpulpal

circumpulsar

circumradial

circumradius

circumrenal

circumrotate

circumrotation

circumrotatory

circumsaccate

circumsail

circumsaturnian

circumscissile

circumscribe

circumsecondary

circumsolar

circumspatial

circumspection

circumsphere

circumsporozoite

circumstellar

circumstriate

circumtabular

circumterraneous

circumterrestrial

circumtonsillar

circumtriple

circumtropical

circumtropically

circumtumoral

circumundulate

circumvaginal

circumvascular

circumventricular

circumversion

circumvolution

circumzenith

circumzenithal

circumzygomatic

Related terms

• circumcise
• circumcision
• circumference

Translations

prefix meaning "around"

• Hungarian: körül- (hu)
• Icelandic: um-
• Ido: cirkum-
• Italian: circum-, circon-
• Old English: ymb-
• Polish: około- (pl)
• Portuguese: circum-, circun-
• Russian: около- (ru) (okolo-), при- (ru) (pri-)
• Ukrainian: по- (uk) (po-), над- (nad-), під- (pid-), при- (uk) (pry-)

See also

• circa

Italian

Etymology

From Latin circum-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃir.kum/
• Hyphenation: cir‧cum-

Prefix

circum-

1. circum-

   Synonym: circon-

Derived terms

Italian terms prefixed with circum-

circuminsessione

circumetneo

circumlunare

circumnavigare

circumnavigato

circumnavigatore

circumnavigazione

circumpadano

circumpolare

circumsolare

circumterrestre

circumvesuviano

circumzenitale

Latin

Etymology

Combining form of circum (“round about”, “in a circle around”, adverb and preposition).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkɪr.kũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈt͡ʃir.kum]

Prefix

circum-

1. circum- (round, about)

Usage notes

• Derivations of this suffix frequently occur divisim.

Derived terms

Latin terms prefixed with circum-

circumaedifico

circumaggero

circumago

circumambulo

circumaro

circumaspicio

circumcido

circumcalco

circumcingo

circumcirca

circumfingo

circumcludo

circumcolo

circumcumulo

circumcurro

circumcurso

circumdo

circumdoleo

circumdolo

circumduco

circumequito

circumerro

circumfarcio

circumfero

circumflecto

circumflo

circumfluo

circumfodio

circumforaneus

circumfulgeo

circumfundo

circumgesto

circumgredior

circumiaceo

circumicio

circumluo

circumlego

circumligo

circumlino

circumloquor

circumluceo

circummitto

circummunio

circumnavigo

circumpadanus

circumpendeo

circumplector

circumplico

circumpolaris

circumpono

circumpungo

circumrado

circumrodo

circumroto

circumsaepio

circumsilio

circumscribo

circumseco

circumsedeo

circumsido

circumsisto

circumsono

circumspargo

circumspicio

circumspecto

circumsto

circumstrepo

circumstringo

circumstupeo

circumtego

circumteneo

circumtergeo

circumtextus

circumtono

circumtorqueo

circumtraho

circumtueor

circumvado

circumvagus

circumvallo

circumvecto

circumvehor

circumvenio

circumverto

circumvestio

circumvolito

circumvolo

circumvolvo

References

• “circum III”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “circum-” on page 318/2 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• circun-

Etymology

From Latin circum-.

Prefix

circum-

1. circum- (around)

Usage notes

Circum- with a hyphen is used before M, N, H and vowels, while circum- with no hyphen is used before P and B; otherwise circun- with no hyphen is used.

Derived terms

Portuguese terms prefixed with circum-

circuncentro

circunfixo

circum-navegação

circum-navegar

circumpolar

circunvagar

Further reading

• “circum-”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “circum-”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Prefix

circum-

1. alternative form of circun-

Further reading

• “circum-”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025