circulate

verb

cir·​cu·​late ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce circulate (audio)
circulated; circulating

intransitive verb

1
: to move in a circle, circuit, or orbit
especially : to follow a course that returns to the starting point
blood circulates through the body
2
: to pass from person to person or place to place: such as
a
: to flow without obstruction
b
: to become well-known or widespread
rumors circulated through the town
c
: to go from group to group at a social gathering
d
: to come into the hands of readers
specifically : to become sold or distributed

transitive verb

: to cause to circulate
circulatable adjective
circulative adjective
circulator noun

Examples of circulate in a Sentence

Blood circulates through the body. Steam circulates in the pipes. A pump circulates the water through the filter. Rumors are circulating around town. The report circulated among the students. Stories were circulated about mismanagement. He is circulating a petition asking for a new election. She circulated among her guests.
Recent Examples on the Web Videos circulating on Egyptian media sites showed the studio site and the buildings around it fully affected by the fire. Heather Chen, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 Earlier this month, the first picture of Kate since Christmas—an unsanctioned paparazzi shot of Kate being driven in a car near her home in Windsor by her mother—began circulating internationally. Elle Turner, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024 One video captured what appeared to be a massive tornado in Kansas overnight has circulated online. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 The Post reviewed a video of the girl that was still circulating on Telegram late last year, a recording of a live stream on the 764 Discord server. Chris Dehghanpoor, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 People don’t use them, and the government wants hard currency to be circulated. María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Since then, many online theories about her whereabouts have circulated. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2024 There’ve been instances in the past where doctored photos of high-profile figures have been widely circulated on the internet, without their veracity being checked. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 11 Mar. 2024 What was supposed to be a kids’ entertainment experience quickly went viral in late February after images of the event circulated on social media. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin circulatus, past participle of circulare, from circulus

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of circulate was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near circulate

Cite this Entry

“Circulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circulate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

circulate

verb
cir·​cu·​late ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce circulate (audio)
circulated; circulating
1
: to move or cause to move in a circle or course
especially : to follow a course that returns to the starting point
blood circulates through the body
2
: to pass or be passed from person to person or place to place
circulate a rumor
circulative adjective
circulator noun

Medical Definition

circulate

intransitive verb
cir·​cu·​late ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce circulate (audio)
circulated; circulating
: to flow or be propelled naturally through a closed system of channels (as blood vessels)
blood circulates through the body

More from Merriam-Webster on circulate

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!