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
Thanks to its constitutional provenance, presidential pardon power faces little legal circumscription and minimal disclosure requirements for clemency advocacy efforts.
—
Willem Marx, Vanity Fair, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Their circumscription, however, does not make Assad’s current priorities less dangerous.
—Lina Khatib, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2020
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
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
Willem Marx, Vanity Fair, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Their circumscription, however, does not make Assad’s current priorities less dangerous.
—Lina Khatib, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2020
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscription
Noun
-
Alarmed civic officials across the West have already begun ordering restrictions on watering lawns, cleaning cars and even whether restaurant patrons get served glasses of water.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Regional restrictions may apply.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This is due to a limitation in the Pennsylvania Legislature that families and advocates are working to address.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The central bank originally imposed the limitations due to governance and control issues at Wells, including employees opening millions of unauthorized accounts to meet work-performance quotas.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Some of these clouds could be thick enough to trigger launch constraints.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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While efforts to curb reliance on virgin synthetics have largely centered on recycled polyester, that approach has faced cost, feedstock and scaling constraints.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumscription.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscription. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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