What does "circuit" mean?
The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution
Circuit
/ˈsɜː.kɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution
- Grammar: circuit is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: circle, electric circuit, electrical circuit, air lane.
- Usage evidence: You must switch off the power before checking the circuit.
How to use "circuit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "circuit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "circuit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "circuit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "circuit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "circuit" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "circle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "circuit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution
"After 27 days the moon has made one circuit among the stars, moving from west to east. But in those 27 days the sun has likewise moved eastwardly, about 27 degrees. The moon, then, has to make one circuit and a little more in order to be again in the line joining the earth and sun, in order to be again 'new.'"
- 2 Various administrative divisions of imperial and early Republican China, including:; The counties at the fringes of the empire, usually with a non-Chinese population, from the Han to the Western Jin. historical
- 3 movement once around a course wordnet
- 4 The circumference of, or distance around, any space; the measure of a line around an area.
"Circuit of the wall from the east to the West"
- 5 Various administrative divisions of imperial and early Republican China, including:; The 10 or so major provinces of the empire from the Tang to the early Yuan. historical
Show 21 more definitions
- 6 a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area wordnet
- 7 That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown.
"And this fell tempest shall not cease to rage Until the golden circuit on my head, Like to the glorious sun's transparent beams, Do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw."
- 8 Various administrative divisions of imperial and early Republican China, including:; Major provincial divisions from the Yuan to early Republican China. historical
- 9 an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow wordnet
- 10 The space enclosed within a circle, or within limits.
""Fondling," she saith, "since I have hemm'd thee here Within the circuit of this ivory pale, I'll be a park, and thou shalt be my deer: Feed where thou wilt, on mountain, or in dale; Graze on my lips; and if those hills be dry, Stray lower, where the pleasant fountains lie.""
- 11 a racetrack for automobile races wordnet
- 12 Enclosed path of an electric current, usually designed for a certain function.
"The parts within these series and parallel sub-circuits may be arranged in different ways without changing what the circuit does. Large circuits are made of combinations of smaller series and parallel circuits."
- 13 (law) a judicial division of a state or the United States (so-called because originally judges traveled and held court in different locations); one of the twelve groups of states in the United States that is covered by a particular circuit court of appeals wordnet
- 14 A regular or appointed trip from place to place as part of one's job
"Having cut his teeth on London's take-no-prisoners comedy circuit he can handle hecklers too, sometimes with musical accompaniment; recent shows see him armed with a veritable chamber orchestra's worth of instruments, all of which he plays."
- 15 the boundary line encompassing an area or object wordnet
- 16 The jurisdiction of certain judges within a state or country, whether itinerant or not.
- 17 an established itinerary of venues or events that a particular group of people travel to wordnet
- 18 Abbreviation of circuit court. abbreviation, alt-of
- 19 The basic grouping of local Methodist churches.
- 20 A set of theaters among which the same acts circulate; especially common in the heyday of vaudeville.
- 21 A track on which a race in held; a racetrack
"Interlagos is the 24th track Hamilton has won at in F1, which is more than any other driver in history. The only circuit on the current calendar that Hamilton hasn’t won at is Baku, which only joined the schedule this year."
- 22 circumlocution obsolete
"circuite of words."
- 23 A thought that unconsciously goes round and round in a person's mind and controls that person.
- 24 A closed trail.
- 25 A chain of cinemas/movie theaters.
"Mike Patrick commented on a theater chain he was considering buying and converting to 99 ¢ theaters with multiplex screens: I'm looking at a circuit of theaters in a major metropolitan area. Now the owner hasn't told me that it is for sale yet."
- 26 A single completion of all of the exercises in a circuit training regime.
Verb
- 1 To move in a circle; to go round; to circulate. intransitive, obsolete
"perpetual Motion keep, / Quick circuiting ; nor dare they close their Eyes"
- 2 make a circuit wordnet
- 3 To travel around. obsolete, transitive
"Having circuited the air."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"You must switch off the power before checking the circuit."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "circuit"?
Common synonyms include: circle, electric circuit, electrical circuit, air lane, alentours, ambages.
How do you use "circuit" in a sentence?
You must switch off the power before checking the circuit.
How do you pronounce "circuit"?
Pronounced /ˈsɜː.kɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English circuit, from Old French circuit, from Latin circuitus (“a going round”), from circuire (“go round”), from circum (“around”) + ire.
Etymology 2
A calque of Chinese 道 (dào) or 路 (lù).