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
Their circumscription, however, does not make Assad’s current priorities less dangerous.
—
Lina Khatib, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2020
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
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
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
Lina Khatib, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2020
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscription
Noun
-
Some cities and retailers banned plastic straws, and a few states imposed restrictions.—
Hiroko Tabuchi,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Judges have recently blocked or suspended efforts by the Trump administration to ban transgender people from the military, abolish the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and to place restrictions on birthright citizenship.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Elderly adults are more susceptible to diseases, impairments and mobility limitations that require prescription drugs and accessories like walkers, shower seats, incontinence products, pacemakers and insulin pumps.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Read product labels for specific uses and limitations.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That pivot involved epistemic uncertainty—consumer behavior, bandwidth constraints, and content rights.—
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Newcastle just don’t have the same depth quality-wise, which is largely down to the PSR (the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules) constraints of the past 18 months.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circumscription.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscription. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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