circulate

verb

cir·​cu·​late ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce circulate (audio)
circulated; circulating

intransitive verb

1
: to move in a circle, circuit, or orbit
especially : to follow a course that returns to the starting point
blood circulates through the body
2
: to pass from person to person or place to place: such as
a
: to flow without obstruction
b
: to become well-known or widespread
rumors circulated through the town
c
: to go from group to group at a social gathering
d
: to come into the hands of readers
specifically : to become sold or distributed

transitive verb

: to cause to circulate
circulatable adjective
circulative adjective
circulator noun

Examples of circulate in a Sentence

Blood circulates through the body. Steam circulates in the pipes. A pump circulates the water through the filter. Rumors are circulating around town. The report circulated among the students. Stories were circulated about mismanagement. He is circulating a petition asking for a new election. She circulated among her guests.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In both cases, the fall of a whole city seemed implausible until images of jihadists wandering around Mosul and Aleppo circulated on social media. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Dec. 2024 Insurgents in Syria appear to have captured an advanced Russian air-defense system, according to images widely circulating on social media, after rebel forces launched a surprise offensive last week in the north of the country that marked an end to a long-running stalemate. Ellie Cook, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024 Absent production, there quite simply would be no dollars circulating. John Tamny, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024 In a five-minute video posted on TikTok on Friday, Bode — who uses a wheelchair on screen and in real life — shared her thoughts on the insensitive comments circulating online about Nessarose, the younger sister of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). Michaela Zee, Variety, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for circulate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin circulatus, past participle of circulare, from circulus

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of circulate was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near circulate

Cite this Entry

“Circulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circulate. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

circulate

verb
cir·​cu·​late ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce circulate (audio)
circulated; circulating
1
: to move or cause to move in a circle or course
especially : to follow a course that returns to the starting point
blood circulates through the body
2
: to pass or be passed from person to person or place to place
circulate a rumor
circulative adjective
circulator noun

Medical Definition

circulate

intransitive verb
cir·​cu·​late ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce circulate (audio)
circulated; circulating
: to flow or be propelled naturally through a closed system of channels (as blood vessels)
blood circulates through the body

More from Merriam-Webster on circulate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!