1
as in restriction
something that limits one's freedom of action or choice
such circumscriptions on the freedom of speech are antithetical to a free and open society
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in limitation
the act or practice of keeping something (as an activity) within certain boundaries
electronic monitoring bracelets are sometimes used to impose a circumscription of movement on people awaiting trial
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Recent Examples of circumscription
That said, the impact of Mr. Cervas’s circumscription has already been profound, creating the likelihood of highly competitive general-election campaigns from Long Island to upstate New York.
—
New York Times, 28 May 2022
Their circumscription, however, does not make Assad’s current priorities less dangerous.
—Lina Khatib, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2020
Longtime readers of the site, though, have noted that the site no longer functions this way, in part because the Internet isn’t currently a space conducive to blinders and circumscription.
—Ross Scarano, Billboard, 6 May 2019
REM candidates made the second round in 453 circumscriptions and its MoDem allies qualified in another 62.
—Gregory Viscusi, Bloomberg.com, 18 June 2017
Conditions explicitly accounted by our model include warfare, circumscription, variation in productivity between different local communities, ability to generate surpluses, ability to delegate power, and restrictions on the growth of polities due to scalar stress.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2011
New York Times, 28 May 2022
Their circumscription, however, does not make Assad’s current priorities less dangerous.
—Lina Khatib, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2020
Longtime readers of the site, though, have noted that the site no longer functions this way, in part because the Internet isn’t currently a space conducive to blinders and circumscription.
—Ross Scarano, Billboard, 6 May 2019
REM candidates made the second round in 453 circumscriptions and its MoDem allies qualified in another 62.
—Gregory Viscusi, Bloomberg.com, 18 June 2017
Conditions explicitly accounted by our model include warfare, circumscription, variation in productivity between different local communities, ability to generate surpluses, ability to delegate power, and restrictions on the growth of polities due to scalar stress.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscription
Noun
-
The company also points out that pigeons can operate in areas where drones face airspace restrictions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The golden mussel is a serious threat, and officials say most boat owners seem to understand that and accept the new restrictions.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The study, which was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, had several limitations, the researchers acknowledged.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Experts say another common and often overlooked limitation of anticoagulants is that even with the newer generation of the drugs, doctors need to take care to prescribe the appropriate drug and dose for a patient.—
David Cox,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These environmental constraints are compounded by human impact.—
Outside,
Outside,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Clintons had been seeking to negotiate terms with Comer to avoid a contempt vote, including to introduce constraints to the duration and scope of questioning, but ultimately agreed to comply with all of Comer’s demands.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumscription.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscription. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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