circumference

noun

sər-ˈkəm(p)-fərn(t)s How to pronounce circumference (audio)
Definition of circumferencenext
1
as in diameter
the distance around a round body the circumference of the earth at the equator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in perimeter
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something a silly little affair that's of interest to no one beyond the circumference of this campus

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of circumference The Sierra Club, an environmental nonprofit, is planning to appeal the permits the city issued to remove five trees from the site, including a black olive with a trunk that’s nearly six feet in circumference. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 Because of these limitations, physicians usually consider waist circumference, body composition, fitness, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels alongside BMI. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 Researchers looked at waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Malnutrition rates were determined by weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) and mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC). — Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circumference
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumference
  1. diameter
  2. perimeter
  3. radius
  4. edge
  5. equator
  6. boundary
  7. rim
  8. border
Noun
  • Gusts up to 60 mph and hail an inch in diameter threaten the region, NWS meteorologists said.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026
  • These structural feats culminate at the building’s center, where arched steel beams span 185 feet over a public plaza — opening to Expo Park and the neighborhood — to frame a 90-foot-diameter oculus, floating four stories up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of diameter
Noun
  • The outdoor cinema is wrapped by a rough-hewn Brutalist perimeter—half-lined with concrete cubes, the other half enclosed with planks salvaged from the boardwalk destroyed during Hurricane Sandy.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly 6,000 homeless people could be forced to move when security officials impose expansive security perimeters in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, researchers estimated in a new study.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of perimeter
Noun
  • Conahan was never charged with any other homicides, but a sheriff's office report about the investigation concluded that all of the victims discovered within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius were likely killed by the same person.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Ebony Horse Club works with children from low income backgrounds, most of whom would never otherwise get anywhere near a horse, within a three mile radius of its Brixton yard in the London borough of Lambeth.
    — Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of radius
Noun
  • The Eagles were not as dominant in 2025, partly due to the regression of the depth in their secondary and the injuries sustained at edge rusher.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The facilities would include what’s known as an edge computing data center, which typically is much smaller than traditional data centers and which Global Stack says would require lower utility use and no municipal water connection.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of edge
Noun
  • The autumnal equinox is the precise moment when the sun crosses directly above the Earth's equator, marking the start of the fall season.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In our solar system, all the planets orbit around the sun in the ecliptic plane, which is a narrow plane aligned with the sun's equator and direction of rotation.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of equator
Noun
  • The film centers on Leo and Anne, whose relationship becomes caught in a cycle of attraction and separation as the boundaries between intimacy and dependence, care and control and presence and absence steadily begin to collapse.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But the methods used in the show’s sting operations, as depicted here, uncomfortably skirt the dubious boundaries of entrapment.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of boundary
Noun
  • France isn’t as imposing in the frontcourt, though Salaün and Malonga are a devastating starting combo with the former’s shooting and the latter’s rim-running.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Grand Canyon National Park This world-famous Arizona national park is a mile-deep canyon—a spectacular example of erosion—with awe-inspiring views from both the north and south rims.
    — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rim
Noun
  • Asian food Lucknow is considered by many Indians as one of the country’s greatest culinary capitals, but beyond the South Asian nation’s borders, the city has remained largely absent from global conversations about food.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • On a community level, that could mean creating more open spaces between the waterfront and development, replacing the asphalt that borders places like Virginia Key with mangroves and walking paths.
    — Zoey Thomas, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of border

Browse Nearby Words

circumambulating
circumference
circumferences
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Circumference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumference. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on circumference

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about circumference

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All