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
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
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
-
Later that month, a judge lifted the restriction and ordered that Hildebrandt must put $100,000 from the potential sale in a bank account for the children, according to ABC7.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Local blackout restrictions for Marlins would be eliminated in that scenario.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Critical mineral The research team also revealed that the Graphite is classified as a critical mineral in the United States because of its use in essential manufacturing combined with the limitations caused by its offshore supply chain.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Jan. 2026
-
That limitation is the reason why a demand letter from attorneys was sent to the courts Friday, putting them on notice.—
Ubah Ali,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, access remains shaped by regulatory thresholds, investor eligibility rules, and platform-specific constraints.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
-
But in the domestic arena, governance by dealmaking faces serious constraints.—
Yuval Levin,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumscription.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscription. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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