What does "circulate" mean?
to move in circles or through a circuit
Circulate
/ˈsɜː.kjʊˌleɪt/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: to move in circles or through a circuit
- Grammar: circulate is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: broadcast, disseminate, distribute, propagate.
- Useful contrasts: quelling, conceal, hoard.
- Usage evidence: I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.
How to use "circulate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "circulate" 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 "circulate" 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 "circulate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "circulate" 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 "circulate" is acting as 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 "broadcast" 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 "circulate", 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
Verb
- 1 to move in circles or through a circuit intransitive
- 2 cause to become widely known wordnet
- 3 to cause (a person or thing) to move in circles or through a circuit transitive
- 4 become widely known and passed on wordnet
- 5 to move from person to person, as at a party
"In both the 2005 and 2013 papal elections there were whispers circulating that back in 1976 Francis had failed to help the two priests in their hour of need."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 move around freely from person to person or from place to place wordnet
- 7 to spread or disseminate
"to circulate money or gossip"
- 8 move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point wordnet
- 9 to become widely known
- 10 cause to move in a circuit or system wordnet
- 11 Of decimals: to repeat.
- 12 cause to be distributed wordnet
Example
"I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "circulate"?
Common synonyms include: broadcast, disseminate, distribute, propagate, spread, actuate.
How do you use "circulate" in a sentence?
I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.
How do you pronounce "circulate"?
Pronounced /ˈsɜː.kjʊˌleɪt/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin circulātus, perfect passive participle of Late Latin circulō (“to make circular, encircle”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), a later collateral form of circulor (“form a circle (of men) around oneself”), from circulus (“a circle”). See also Middle English circulat(e) (“(alchemy) changed by continuous distillation in a closed vessel”).