Standard Lemma guide

circulation

noun · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌsɜː(ɹ).kjʊˈleɪ.ʃən/
  • US: /ˌsɝkjʊˈleɪʃən/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: S ER1 K Y AH0 L EY2 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of moving in a circle, or in a course which brings the moving body to the place where its motion began.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of passing from place to place or person to person; free diffusion; transmission.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Currency; circulating coins; notes, bills, etc., current for coin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The new bills will come into circulation next Friday.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The extent to which anything circulates or is circulated; the measurement of diffusion, especially the number of copies sold of a publication.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • June 1 2016, Karen Roberts in the Evening Express, Aberdeen Journals - The Broad Street Years The reputation and circulation of the paper continued to grow, and the board decided a new custom-built base was required for both the Press and Journal and Evening Express to replace the crumbling, but much loved, Broad Street offices.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The movement of the blood in the circulatory system, by which it is brought into close relations with the cells and tissues of the body; (loosely) the circulatory system.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: strictly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The movement of the sap in the vessels and tissues of plants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the spread or transmission of something (as news or money) to a wider group or area

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spread, spreading

Narrower terms: recirculation

8

noun

Meaning 8

the dissemination of copies of periodicals (as newspapers or magazines)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dissemination, airing, public exposure, spreading

9

noun

Meaning 9

free movement or passage (as of cytoplasm within a cell or sap through a plant)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ocean circulation is an important part of global climate
  • a fan aids air circulation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change of location, travel

10

noun

Meaning 10

movement through a circuit; especially the movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organic phenomenon

Narrower terms: systemic circulation, pulmonary circulation, vitelline circulation

11

noun

Meaning 11

number of copies of a newspaper or magazine that are sold

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • by increasing its circulation the newspaper hoped to increase its advertising

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: count

12

noun

Meaning 12

(library science) the count of books that are loaned by a library over a specified period

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: count

History

Etymology

From Middle English circulacioun, from Latin circulatio. Morphologically circulate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

105 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: dövran — act of moving in a circle
  • Bulgarian: обикаляне (obikaljane) — act of moving in a circle
  • Bulgarian: кръжене (krǎžene) — act of moving in a circle
  • Czech: cirkulace — act of moving in a circle
  • Esperanto: cirkulado — act of moving in a circle
  • Finnish: kiertoliike — act of moving in a circle
  • Finnish: pyöriminen — act of moving in a circle
  • Finnish: kiertokulku — act of moving in a circle
  • German: Kreislauf — act of moving in a circle
  • German: Zirkulation — act of moving in a circle
  • German: Umlauf — act of moving in a circle
  • Greek: κυκλοφορία (kykloforía) — act of moving in a circle
  • Hungarian: keringés — act of moving in a circle
  • Indonesian: perputaran — act of moving in a circle
  • Macedonian: обиколу́вање (obikolúvanje) — act of moving in a circle
  • Macedonian: кру́жење (krúženje) — act of moving in a circle
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sirkulasjon — act of moving in a circle
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sirkulasjon — act of moving in a circle
  • Portuguese: circulação — act of moving in a circle
  • Portuguese: circundação — act of moving in a circle
  • Russian: кругово́е движе́ние (krugovóje dvižénije) — act of moving in a circle
  • Russian: круговоро́т (krugovorót) — act of moving in a circle
  • Russian: циркуля́ция (cirkuljácija) — act of moving in a circle
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuairteachadh — act of moving in a circle
  • Spanish: circulación — act of moving in a circle
  • Thai: การไหลเวียน — act of moving in a circle
  • Thai: การหมุนเวียน — act of moving in a circle
  • Ottoman Turkish: اداره (idâre) — act of moving in a circle
  • Ottoman Turkish: دوره (devre) — act of moving in a circle
  • Afrikaans: sirkulasie — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Bulgarian: обикаляне (obikaljane) — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Dutch: omloop — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Finnish: kierto — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Finnish: kiertäminen — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • German: Umlaufen — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • German: Zirkulieren — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Greek: κυκλοφορία (kykloforía) — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Macedonian: обиколу́вање (obikolúvanje) — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Portuguese: circulação — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Russian: оборо́т (oborót) — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Spanish: circulación — act of passing from place to place or person to person
  • Azerbaijani: tədavül — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Azerbaijani: dövriyyəsi — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Bulgarian: обращение (obraštenie) — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Dutch: oplage — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Finnish: liike — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Finnish: liikenne — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Finnish: käyttö — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • German: Geldumlauf — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • German: Geldkreislauf — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • German: Geldzirkulation — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Hungarian: forgalom — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Macedonian: о́птек (óptek) — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Macedonian: про́мет (prómet) — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omløp — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: omløp — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Portuguese: circulação — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Russian: обраще́ние (obraščénije) — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Spanish: circulación — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Turkish: tedavül — currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc.
  • Azerbaijani: dövriyyə — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Bulgarian: циркулация (cirkulacija) — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Finnish: levikki — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Hungarian: keringés — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Macedonian: циркула́ција (cirkulácija) — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Persian: تیراژ (tirâž) — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Russian: циркуля́ция (cirkuljácija) — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Russian: оборо́т (oborót) — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Spanish: circulación — extent to which anything circulates or is circulated
  • Asturian: circulación — line integral along a closed path
  • Catalan: circulació — line integral along a closed path
  • French: circulation — line integral along a closed path
  • Galician: circulación — line integral along a closed path
  • Italian: circolazione — line integral along a closed path
  • Portuguese: circulação — line integral along a closed path
  • Spanish: circulación — line integral along a closed path
  • Azerbaijani: dövran — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Azerbaijani: qan dövranı — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Bulgarian: кръвообращение (krǎvoobraštenie) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 血液循環 /血液循环 (xiěyè xúnhuán) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Finnish: verenkierto — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • French: circulation — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • German: Blutkreislauf — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Greek: κυκλοφορία (kykloforía) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Hungarian: keringés — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Hungarian: vérkeringés — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Indonesian: peredaran — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Japanese: 血液循環 (ketsueki junkan) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Macedonian: кр́воток (kŕvotok) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Macedonian: циркула́ција (cirkulácija) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Malay: peredaran — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Manx: kiarkley — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Manx: kiarkley ny folley — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Marathi: रक्ताभिसरण (raktābhisraṇ) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Norwegian Bokmål: blodsirkulasjon — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: blodsirkulasjon — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Portuguese: circulação — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Russian: кровообраще́ние (krovoobraščénije) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Scottish Gaelic: cuairteachadh — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Spanish: circulación — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Thai: การไหลเวียนของเลือด — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Turkish: kan dolaşımı — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Ukrainian: кровоо́біг (krovoóbih) — movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發行量 /发行量 (fāxíngliàng) — the number of a newspaper or a magazine has been sold
  • Chinese Mandarin: 銷售量 /销售量 (xiāoshòuliàng) — the number of a newspaper or a magazine has been sold
Real reading context

circulation in complete knowledge articles