circulation

cir·cu·la·tion | \ ˌsər-kyə-ˈlā-shən

Definition of circulation

1 : orderly movement through a circuit especially : the movement of blood through the vessels of the body induced by the pumping action of the heart

2 : flow

3a : passage or transmission from person to person or place to place especially : the interchange of currency coins in circulation

b : the extent of dissemination: such as

(1) : the average number of copies of a publication sold over a given period

(2) : the total number of items borrowed from a library

Examples of circulation in a Sentence

He has bad circulation in his legs. The drug improves blood circulation. The attic has poor air circulation. the circulation of ocean waters Let's open the windows to get some circulation in here. This memo is not meant for circulation. The coins have recently entered circulation.

Recent Examples on the Web China’s commercial banks had more than 749 million credit cards in circulation as of March, up 77% from five years earlier, according to data from Wind. — WSJ, "Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership," 6 July 2020 First, there’s been a decrease in business transactions and in the use of coin recyclers, like Coinstar, meaning there are fewer coins in circulation. — Natalie Walters, Dallas News, "The newest entry on the pandemic hard-to-find list: pocket change," 30 June 2020 Analyzing weather data and using climate models, the researchers found that the rising temperatures are a result of changes in atmospheric circulation that have their origins thousands of miles away in the western tropical Pacific Ocean. — Henry Fountain, BostonGlobe.com, "Even the South Pole is warming, and quickly, scientists say," 29 June 2020 In this case, the study finds in the future the tropical circulation may weaken due to global warming. — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, "Saharan dust cloud cloaks U.S. Gulf Coast in choking haze," 26 June 2020 Actress Tina Fey asked NBCUniversal to take some episodes of her show 30 Rock out of circulation because of the use of blackface. — Madison Dibble, Washington Examiner, "Tina Fey asks NBC to pull 30 Rock episodes featuring actors wearing blackface," 23 June 2020 Lead pollution from mining, smelting, and other industrial work across Europe also tends to end up in the Greenland ice, thanks to atmospheric circulation. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "The volcano that caused famines in ancient Rome? It was in Alaska," 22 June 2020 At the height of crypto mania, thousands of tokens were in circulation -- and many have since been weeded out. — Vildana Hajric, Bloomberg.com, "Singer Akon Is Launching a Cryptocurrency, Building Senegal City," 15 June 2020 Large plastic containers with good air circulation are great for storing produce that isn’t long-lasting. — Marshall Bright, CNN Underscored, "7 ways to make the most of a CSA farm share box," 24 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'circulation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about circulation

Dictionary Entries near circulation

circulus in definiendo

Statistics for circulation

Last Updated

9 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Circulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circulation. Accessed 12 Jul. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for circulation

circulation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of circulation

: the movement of blood through the body that is caused by the pumping action of the heart

: movement of air, water, etc., through the different parts of something

: the act of passing something (such as money, information, etc.) from person to person or place to place : the state of being passed from person to person or place to place

See the full definition for circulation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

circulation

noun

cir·cu·la·tion | \ ˌsər-kyə-ˈlā-shən

Kids Definition of circulation

1 : movement through something A fan will improve the circulation of air in the room.

2 : passage from place to place or person to person coins in circulation

3 : the average number of copies (as of a newspaper) sold in a given period

circulation

noun

cir·cu·la·tion | \ ˌsər-kyə-ˈlā-shən

Medical Definition of circulation

: the movement of blood through the vessels of the body that is induced by the pumping action of the heart and serves to distribute nutrients and oxygen to and remove waste products from all parts of the body — see pulmonary circulation, systemic circulation

Keep scrolling for more