circumference

cir·cum·fer·ence
C3I1R1C3U1M3F4E1R1E1N1C3E1
UK/sɜːˈkʌmfɹəns/UK/səˈkʌmfɹəns/US/sɚˈkʌmfɹəns/Australia/səˈkamfɹəns/

noun

The line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional figure.

Similar
girthperimeterumstrokelapcircuit
OriginLatin circumferentia →
Less commonScrabble 24
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nouncircumference (plural circumferences)

plural circumferences

  1. geometryThe line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional figure.
  2. geometryThe length of such a line.
  3. obsoleteThe surface of a round or spherical object.

    Synonyms: girth

  4. graph theoryThe length of the longest cycle of a graph.
verbcircumference (third-person singular simple present circumferences, present participle circumferencing, simple past and past participle circumferenced)

present singular third person circumferences · participle present circumferencing · participle past circumferenced · past circumferenced

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo include in a circular space; to bound.

    Nor is the vigour of this great body included only in itself, or circumferenced by its surface

    1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe surface of a round or spherical object.

Similar
girth
Similar
perimeterumstroke

distance measured around a race track

Similar
lap

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe size of something as given by the distance around it

Similar
perimeter
Broader
size

nounthe boundary line encompassing an area or object

Similar
circuit
Broader
boundary lineborderborderline
Also see
circuitgirthperimeter

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latincircumferentia
  2. Englishcircumference

From Latin circumferentia, from circum (“around”) + ferō (“to carry”). Displaced native Old English ymbgang.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek περιφέρεια
  • περιφέρεια (periphéreia)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Arabic مُحِيط, مُحِيط
  • مُحِيط (muḥīṭ)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • مُحِيط (muḥīṭ)length of such line
Bengali পরিধি, পরিধি
  • পরিধি (poridhi)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • পরিধি (poridhi)length of such line
Bulgarian перифе́рия, окръ́жност
  • перифе́рия (periférija)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • окръ́жност (okrắžnost)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • обико́лка (obikólka)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • обико́лка (obikólka)length of such line
  • периметър (perimetăr)length of such line
Catalan circumferència, circumferència
  • circumferèncialine that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • circumferèncialength of such line
Chinese Mandarin 圓周 /圆周, 周長 /周长
  • 圓周 /圆周 (yuánzhōu)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • 周長 /周长 (zhōucháng)length of such line
Czech obvod, obvod
  • obvodline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • obvodlength of such line
Danish omkreds, omkreds
  • omkredsline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • omkredslength of such line
Dutch omtrek, omtrek
  • omtrekline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • omtreklength of such line
Finnish kehä, ympärysmitta
  • kehäline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • ympärysmittalength of such line
French circonférence, circonférence
  • circonférenceline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • circonférencelength of such line
  • circonférencegraph theory
German Umfang, Umfang
  • Umfangline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • Umfanglength of such line
  • Kreisumfanglength of such line
Greek περιφέρεια, περιφέρεια
  • περιφέρεια (periféreia)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • περιφέρεια (periféreia)length of such line
Hebrew הֶקֵּף
  • הֶקֵּף (hekéf)length of such line
Hindi परिधि, परिधि
  • परिधि (paridhi)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • परिधि (paridhi)length of such line
Hungarian kerület
  • kerületline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Icelandic ummál
  • ummállength of such line
Irish timpeall, timpeall
  • timpeallline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • timpealllength of such line
Italian circonferenza, circonferenza
  • circonferenzaline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • circonferenzalength of such line
Japanese 円周, 円周長
  • 円周 (enshū)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • 円周長 (enshūchō)length of such line
  • 周長 (shūchō)length of such line
Korean 원주, 둘레
  • 원주 (wonju)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • 둘레 (dulle)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Latin circumferentia
  • circumferentialine that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Lithuanian perimetras
  • perimetrasline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Māori pae, taiāwhiotanga
  • paeline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • taiāwhiotangaline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • paelength of such line
Norwegian Bokmål omkrets, omkrets
  • omkretsline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • omkretslength of such line
Persian پیرامون
  • پیرامون (pirâmun)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Polish obwód, obwód
  • obwódline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • obwódlength of such line
Portuguese circunferência, perímetro
  • circunferêncialine that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • perímetrolength of such line
Romanian circumferință
  • circumferințăline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
Russian окру́жность, пери́метр
  • окру́жность (okrúžnostʹ)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • пери́метр (perímetr)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • длина́ окру́жности (dliná okrúžnosti)length of such line
  • пери́метр (perímetr)length of such line
Slovak obvod, obvod
  • obvodline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • obvodlength of such line
Spanish circunferencia, circunferencia
  • circunferencialine that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • circunferencialength of such line
Swedish omkrets, omkrets
  • omkretsline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • omkretslength of such line
Tagalog tikop, tikop
  • tikopline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • tikoplength of such line
Tamil சுற்றளவு, சுற்றளவு
  • சுற்றளவு (cuṟṟaḷavu)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • சுற்றளவு (cuṟṟaḷavu)length of such line
Thai เส้นรอบวง, ความยาวเส้นรอบวง
  • เส้นรอบวง (sên-rɔ̂ɔp-wong)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • ความยาวเส้นรอบวง (kwaam-yaao-sên-rɔ̂ɔp-wong)length of such line
Turkish çevre
  • çevrelength of such line
Ukrainian окру́жність, окру́жність
  • окру́жність (okrúžnistʹ)line that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • окру́жність (okrúžnistʹ)length of such line
Vietnamese chu vi, đường tròn
  • chu viline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • đường trònline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • độ dài chu vilength of such line
  • độ dàilength of such line
Welsh cylchyn, cylchedd
  • cylchynline that bounds a circle or other two-dimensional object
  • cylcheddlength of such line
Cite this entry
APA

circumference. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/circumference

MLA

“circumference.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/circumference. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “circumference,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/circumference.

Source: circumference on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.