often attributive
1
a
: a usually circular line encompassing an area
a swamp about 10 miles in circuit
b
: the space enclosed within such a line
the circuit of the duke's land
2
a
: a course around a periphery
the periodic circuit of the Earth around the Sun
b
: a circuitous or indirect route
The damaged bridge forced him to take a long circuit to his destination.
3
a
: a regular tour (as by a traveling judge or preacher) around an assigned district or territory
The preacher ministered to each congregation in his circuit.
b
: the route traveled
His circuit took him to many towns in the county.
c
: a group of church congregations ministered to by one pastor
4
a
: the complete path of an electric current including usually the source of electric energy
b
: an assemblage of electronic elements : hookup
c
: a two-way communication path between points (as in a computer)
d
: a neuronal pathway of the brain along which electrical and chemical signals travel
5
a
: an association of similar groups : league
b
: a number or series of public outlets (such as theaters, radio shows, or arenas) offering the same kind of presentation
He loved competing on the rodeo circuit.
She rose through the theater circuit to become a big-time entertainer.
c
: a number of similar social gatherings
the cocktail circuit
circuited; circuiting; circuits
: to make a circuit about
a route that circuits the Back Bay section of the city
: to make a circuit
Potential buyers circuited around the boatyard.
Synonyms
Examples of circuit in a Sentence
Noun
It takes a year for the Earth to make one circuit around the sun.
Verb
after circuiting the exterior of the church, the procession headed inside
Recent Examples on the Web
Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
This enables textiles made from these fibers to act as a simple tactile sensor without the need for batteries or logic circuits.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Apr. 2024
Shiozawa said Japanese motorsports fans were more interested in F1 drivers and races, which only ran on street and road courses, whereas IndyCar racing took place mostly on oval circuits.
—Emiko Jozuka For Cnn, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Emma Stone Pairs Mint-Colored Peplum Gown With a Massive Diamond Necklace at the 2024 Oscars
The pair also agrees that the Oscars design was their favorite out of Stone’s awards season looks — but that’s not to discount her other glamorous ensembles seen throughout the months-long circuit.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Finding optimal circuit layout and routing in large scale semiconductor designs is both labor-intensive and complex, often leaving both performance, power efficiency and silicon cost on the table.
—Dave Altavilla, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The 20-car circuit will travel to 21 countries on five continents.
—James Raia, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
She’s slated to tour this year, playing the festival circuit that includes a stop at New York’s Governors Ball on June 7.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024
Del Mar could blend into a circuit to include such tracks as Oaklawn, Keeneland and Kentucky Downs.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2011
Republicans countered that the bill would short-circuit a deliberative process.
—Azi Paybarah, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Dec. 2022
Hundreds of players came and went, from Grand Slam champions to circuit short-timers.
—Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022
Damage to the pons can short-circuit its ability to paralyze the sleeping body.
—Jen Rose Smith, CNN, 10 May 2022
These are tested and wrapped in plastic packages to connect them to circuit boards or parts of a system.
—New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022
The awards circuit moves from movies to music, with the airing of the 64th Grammy Awards.
—Irene Kim, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2022
Do this circuit a total of 4 times to get a full abs workout in 10 minutes.
—Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 24 Jan. 2022
The administration said the court could short-circuit the usual process and rule on the law's constitutionality this term, even though lower courts have yet to do so.
—Compiled Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2021
Noun
Like other circuits, AMC is grappling with a dramatic downturn at the box office so far this year because of delays due to the strikes.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
This enables textiles made from these fibers to act as a simple tactile sensor without the need for batteries or logic circuits.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Apr. 2024
Shiozawa said Japanese motorsports fans were more interested in F1 drivers and races, which only ran on street and road courses, whereas IndyCar racing took place mostly on oval circuits.
—Emiko Jozuka For Cnn, CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Emma Stone Pairs Mint-Colored Peplum Gown With a Massive Diamond Necklace at the 2024 Oscars
The pair also agrees that the Oscars design was their favorite out of Stone’s awards season looks — but that’s not to discount her other glamorous ensembles seen throughout the months-long circuit.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Finding optimal circuit layout and routing in large scale semiconductor designs is both labor-intensive and complex, often leaving both performance, power efficiency and silicon cost on the table.
—Dave Altavilla, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The 20-car circuit will travel to 21 countries on five continents.
—James Raia, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
She’s slated to tour this year, playing the festival circuit that includes a stop at New York’s Governors Ball on June 7.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024
Del Mar could blend into a circuit to include such tracks as Oaklawn, Keeneland and Kentucky Downs.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
History shows that, inbuilt though that capacity may be, ideas can short-circuit it.
—Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2011
Republicans countered that the bill would short-circuit a deliberative process.
—Azi Paybarah, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Dec. 2022
Hundreds of players came and went, from Grand Slam champions to circuit short-timers.
—Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022
Damage to the pons can short-circuit its ability to paralyze the sleeping body.
—Jen Rose Smith, CNN, 10 May 2022
These are tested and wrapped in plastic packages to connect them to circuit boards or parts of a system.
—New York Times, 8 Apr. 2022
The awards circuit moves from movies to music, with the airing of the 64th Grammy Awards.
—Irene Kim, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2022
Do this circuit a total of 4 times to get a full abs workout in 10 minutes.
—Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 24 Jan. 2022
The administration said the court could short-circuit the usual process and rule on the law's constitutionality this term, even though lower courts have yet to do so.
—Compiled Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circuit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near circuit
Cite this Entry
“Circuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuit. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
circuit
noun
cir·cuit
ˈsər-kət 
1
: the complete path of an electric current including usually the source of electric energy
2
: a neuronal pathway of the brain along which electrical and chemical signals travel
… the neurons in this brain circuit communicate using the chemical messenger dopamine.—Helen Fisher, The Wall Street Journal
Helen Fisher, The Wall Street JournalLegal Definition
circuit
noun
cir·cuit
1
a
: a route formerly taken by traveling judges
b
: a district established within a state or the federal judicial system
2
capitalized
: the court of appeals for a circuit in the federal judicial system
after the 9th Circuit's ruling—V. M. Sher
V. M. SherLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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