circumscribe

IPA/ˈsɜːkəmskraɪb/
KK[sˌɚkəmskrˈaɪb]IPA/ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪb/

circumscribe — verb

  • circumscribepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • circumscribeshe / she / it
  • circumscribedpast simple
  • circumscribing-ing form

1. to set clear limits on something such as power, freedom, or action, preventing i

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to set clear limits on something such as power, freedom, or action, preventing it from going beyond those limits.

Example

The new regulations circumscribed the activities of the logging company near the national park.

circumscribe + noun phrase (activities)

Asher felt that the tight deadline circumscribed his ability to deliver careful, well-researched work.

Common collocations
  • circumscribe power/authority
  • circumscribe freedom/liberty
  • circumscribe rights
  • circumscribe activities/operations
  • circumscribe a role
  • severely/strictly/tightly circumscribed
  • be circumscribed by law/rules/budget
Synonyms
  • restrict

    less formal and more common in everyday speech; circumscribe carries a stronger sense of deliberate boundary-setting

  • limit

    the most general and neutral term; circumscribe is more formal and suggests drawing a precise boundary

  • confine

    can imply physical containment; circumscribe is used for abstract limits

  • constrain

    suggests pressure or force that restricts; circumscribe implies a clear, often official, boundary

Antonyms
  • expand

    to increase in scope or size

  • broaden

    to make wider or more inclusive

Grammar Patterns

circumscribe + noun phrase (power/role/freedom)

be circumscribed + by + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive constructions (be circumscribed by). The subject is typically an external force such as a law, rule, budget, or policy; the object is usually an abstract concept such as power, freedom, role, ability, or scope.

Common Mistakes

The law circumscribed the criminal.
The law circumscribed the power of the police.
Circumscribe takes an abstract limit on actions, not a person.
My parents circumscribed me from going out.
My parents circumscribed my freedom by setting a strict curfew.
The object is the freedom or action being limited, not the person directly.

2. In geometry, to put one shape around another so the outer shape touches the inne

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

In geometry, to put one shape around another so the outer shape touches the inner one at specific points — especially a circle drawn around a polygon.

Example

The geometry teacher asked the class to circumscribe a circle around the given triangle.

circumscribe + circle + around + shape

A square circumscribes the circle, touching it at the midpoint of each side.

Common collocations
  • circumscribe a circle
  • circumscribe around a triangle/square/polygon
  • a circle circumscribes a shape
  • circumscribed circle
Synonyms
  • encircle

    a more general term for surrounding; circumscribe is specifically geometric and mathematical

  • surround

    everyday word without the technical precision of circumscribe

Antonyms
  • inscribe

    to draw a shape inside another shape so that the inner shape touches the outer one

Grammar Patterns

circumscribe + noun phrase (shape) + around + noun phrase (shape)

circumscribe + a + shape name

Usage Note

This is a technical term used mainly in geometry and mathematics education. It is the opposite of 'inscribe', which means to draw a shape inside another shape so that the inner shape touches the outer one.

Common Mistakes

I circumscribed a circle inside the triangle.
I circumscribed a circle around the triangle.
Circumscribe means to draw the outer shape around the inner one, not inside.
She circumscribed the square with red ink.
She circumscribed a circle around the square.
The verb is used for drawing one geometric figure around another, not for marking any shape with a pen.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe putting boundaries on something, but they differ in formality, focus, and connotation. 'Limit' is the broadest and most neutral term — it simply sets an upper or lower bound (limit screen time to one hour). 'Restrict' is slightly stronger, often implying deliberate control (restrict access to the building). 'Confine' suggests a tighter, more physical or spatial limitation (confine the dog to the yard). 'Constrain' focuses on external pressure that forces a limitation (constrained by budget cuts). 'Circumscribe' is the most formal of the group and carries a sense of a precise, often official, boundary being drawn around an activity or right. A law circumscribes police powers; a budget circumscribes a program; a constitution circumscribes government authority. In everyday speech, 'limit' and 'restrict' are far more common; 'circumscribe' appears mainly in formal writing, legal documents, and academic discussion.

restrict ↗limit ↗confine ↗constrain ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • circumscribe power
  • circumscribe freedom
  • circumscribe authority
  • circumscribe rights
  • circumscribe activities
  • circumscribe role
  • circumscribe scope

Adverbs

  • severely circumscribed
  • strictly circumscribed
  • tightly circumscribed
  • narrowly circumscribed
  • clearly circumscribed

Phrases

  • circumscribe the ability of
  • remain circumscribed by
  • become circumscribed

Prepositions

  • circumscribed by
  • circumscribed within

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin circumscribere, made up of circum- (meaning 'around') and scribere (meaning 'to write or draw'). The literal sense was 'to draw a line around', which later developed the figurative meaning 'to set boundaries around'. The geometric sense entered English in the mid-1500s, and the abstract sense of 'restricting' appeared around the same time.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a