Definition of circumscribe
transitive verb
1a : to constrict (see constrict 1) the range or activity of definitely and clearly his role was carefully circumscribedb : to define or mark off carefully a study of plant species in a circumscribed area
2a : to draw a line around circumscribed the misspelled wordsb : to surround by or as if by a boundary fields circumscribed by tall trees
3 : to construct or be constructed around (a geometrical figure) so as to touch as many points as possible a circle circumscribing a square
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Examples of circumscribe in a Sentence
The circle is circumscribed by a square.
circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse
Recent Examples of circumscribe from the Web
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Virtually everything a president can do on the domestic policy front is circumscribed by the Congress.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'circumscribe'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Circumscribe has a lot of relatives in English. Its Latin predecessor circumscribere (which roughly translates as "to draw a circle around") derives from circum-, meaning "circle," and scribere, meaning "to write or draw." Among the many descendants of circum- are circuit, circumcise, circumference, circumnavigate, circumspect, circumstance, and circumvent. Scribere gave us such words as scribe and scribble, as well as ascribe, describe, and transcribe, among others. Circumscribe was first recorded in the 14th century; it was originally spelled circumscrive, but the "circumscribe" spelling had also appeared by the end of the century.
Origin and Etymology of circumscribe
Middle English circumscriven, from Latin circumscribere, from circum- + scribere to write, draw — more at scribe
Synonym Discussion of circumscribe
CIRCUMSCRIBE Defined for English Language Learners
circumscribe
playDefinition of circumscribe for English Language Learners
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: to limit the size or amount of (something)
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: to draw a shape around (another shape)
Learn More about circumscribe
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See words that rhyme with circumscribe Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for circumscribe Spanish Central: Translation of circumscribe Nglish: Translation of circumscribe for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of circumscribe for Arabic speakers
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