circular - Definitions from Dictionary.com

10 results for: circular

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

cir·cu·lar

Audio Help [sur-kyuh-ler] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	having the form of a circle; round: a circular tower.

2.	of or pertaining to a circle: a circular plane.

3.	moving in or forming a circle or a circuit: the circular rotation of the earth.

4.	moving or occurring in a cycle or round: the circular succession of the seasons.

5.	roundabout; indirect; circuitous: a circular route.

6.	Logic. of or pertaining to reasoning in which the conclusion is ostensibly proved, but in actuality it or its equivalent has been assumed as a premise.

7.	pertaining to a circle or set of persons.

8.	(of a letter, memorandum, etc.) addressed to a number of persons or intended for general circulation.

–noun

9.	a letter, advertisement, notice, or statement for circulation among the general public.

[Origin: 1375–1425; late ME < L circulāris, equiv. to circul(us) circle + -āris -ar¹

]

—Related forms

cir·cu·lar·i·ty, cir·cu·lar·ness, noun

cir·cu·lar·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 9. handbill, flier, leaflet.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
circular

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

cir·cu·lar Audio Help (sûr'kyə-lər) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Of or relating to a circle.
1. Shaped like or nearly like a circle; round.
2. Moving in or forming a circle.
Circuitous; roundabout: took a circular route to the office.
Using a premise to prove a conclusion that in turn is used to prove the premise: a circular argument.
Defining one word in terms of another that is itself defined in terms of the first word.
Addressed or distributed to a large number of persons.

n. A printed advertisement, directive, or notice intended for mass distribution.

[Middle English circuler, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin circulāris, from circulus, circle; see circle.]

cir'cu·lar'i·ty (-lār'ĭ-tē) n., cir'cu·lar·ly adv.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
circular

1370, from Anglo-Fr. circuler, O.Fr. circulier, from L. circularis, from circulus (see circle). Sense of "a notice circulated" is from 1818.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

circular
adjective
1.	having a circular shape [syn: round] [ant: square]
2.	describing a circle; moving in a circle; "the circular motion of the wheel"
noun
1.	an advertisement (usually printed on a page or in a leaflet) intended for wide distribution; "he mailed the circular to all subscribers"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
circular1 [ˈsəːkjulə] adjective

having the form of a circle
Example: a circular piece of paper

Arabic:	دائري
Chinese (Simplified):	圆形的
Chinese (Traditional):	圓形的
Czech:	kruhový, kruhovitý
Danish:	rund; cirkulær
Dutch:	cirkelvormig
Estonian:	sõõrjas
Finnish:	ympyrän muotoinen
French:	circulaire
German:	kreisrund
Greek:	στρογγυλός, κυκλικός
Hungarian:	kör alakú
Icelandic:	hringlaga
Indonesian:	bundar
Italian:	circolare

Japanese:	円形の
Korean:	원형의
Latvian:	apaļš
Lithuanian:	apskritas, apvalus
Norwegian:	ringformet, (sirkel)rund, sirkel-, rund-
Polish:	kolisty
Portuguese (Brazil):	circular
Portuguese (Portugal):	circular
Romanian:	circular, rotund
Russian:	круглый
Slovak:	kruhový
Slovenian:	okrogel
Spanish:	circular
Swedish:	cirkelrund
Turkish:	çember şeklinde

circular2 [ˈsəːkjulə] adjective

leading back to the point from which it started
Example: a circular road

Arabic:	دائري، مُسْتَدير
Chinese (Simplified):	循环的
Chinese (Traditional):	循環的
Czech:	okružní
Danish:	noget, som går i ring; ring-
Dutch:	rondgaand
Estonian:	ring-
Finnish:	kierroksen tekevä, rengas-
French:	circulaire
German:	Kreis-…
Greek:	κυκλικός
Hungarian:	visszatérő
Icelandic:	sem myndar hring
Indonesian:	melingkar
Italian:	circolare

Japanese:	循環的な
Korean:	일주하는
Latvian:	riņķa-; loka-
Lithuanian:	žiedinis
Norwegian:	noe som går i ring
Polish:	okrężny
Portuguese (Brazil):	circular
Portuguese (Portugal):	circular
Romanian:	în cerc
Russian:	круговой; окружной
Slovak:	okružný
Slovenian:	krožen
Spanish:	circular
Swedish:	ringväg
Turkish:	dairesel

circular [ˈsəːkjulə] noun

a notice etc, especially advertising something, sent to a number of persons
Example: We often get circulars advertising holidays.

Arabic:	نَشْرَه، تَعْميمٌ دَوْري
Chinese (Simplified):	通知
Chinese (Traditional):	通知
Czech:	oběžník
Danish:	cirkulære
Dutch:	rondschrijven
Estonian:	ringkiri
Finnish:	kiertokirje
French:	circulaire
German:	das Rundschreiben
Greek:	διαφημιστικό φυλλάδιο
Hungarian:	körlevél
Icelandic:	dreifibréf
Indonesian:	edaran
Italian:	circolare

Japanese:	広告状
Korean:	회람
Latvian:	apkārtraksts; reklāmas prospekts
Lithuanian:	cirkuliaras, reklaminis prospektas
Norwegian:	rundskriv, reklame
Polish:	druk reklamowy
Portuguese (Brazil):	circular
Portuguese (Portugal):	folheto publicitário
Romanian:	prospect
Russian:	циркуляр; рекламный проспект
Slovak:	obežník
Slovenian:	okrožnica
Spanish:	circular
Swedish:	cirkulär
Turkish:	genelge, sirküler

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: cir·cu·lar
Pronunciation: 's&r-ky&-l&r
Function: adjective
: MANIC-DEPRESSIVE; especially : BIPOLAR3 circular state —Havelock Ellis>

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Circular

Cir"cu*lar\, a. [L. circularis, fr. circulus circle: cf. F. circulaire. See Circle.]

1. In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round.

2. repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive; as, circular reasoning.

3. Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See Cyclic poets, under Cyclic.

Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido? --Dennis.

4. Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for circulation; as, a circular letter.

A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless circular throughout England. --Hallam.

5. Perfect; complete. [Obs.]

A man so absolute and circular In all those wished-for rarities that may take A virgin captive. --Massinger.

Circular are, any portion of the circumference of a circle.

Circular cubics (Math.), curves of the third order which are imagined to pass through the two circular points at infinity.

Circular functions. (Math.) See under Function.

Circular instruments, mathematical instruments employed for measuring angles, in which the graduation extends round the whole circumference of a circle, or 360[deg].

Circular lines, straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc.

Circular note or letter. (a) (Com.) See under Credit. (b) (Diplomacy) A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of persons.

Circular numbers (Arith.), those whose powers terminate in the same digits as the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36. --Bailey. --Barlow.

Circular points at infinity (Geom.), two imaginary points at infinite distance through which every circle in the plane is, in the theory of curves, imagined to pass.

Circular polarization. (Min.) See under Polarization.

Circular or Globular sailing (Naut.), the method of sailing by the arc of a great circle.

Circular saw. See under Saw.