circulation
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of circulating, moving in a circle or circuit, or flowing.
-
the continuous movement of blood through the heart and blood vessels, which is maintained chiefly by the action of the heart, and by which nutrients, oxygen, and internal secretions are carried to and wastes are carried from the body tissues.
-
any similar circuit, passage, or flow, as of the sap in plants or air currents in a room.
-
the transmission or passage of anything from place to place or person to person.
the circulation of a rumor; the circulation of money.
-
the distribution of copies of a periodical among readers.
-
the number of copies of each issue of a newspaper, magazine, etc., distributed.
-
coins, notes, bills, etc., in use as money; currency.
-
Library Science.
-
the lending of library books and other materials.
-
the number of books and materials that a library has lent.
-
the processes connected with providing for the use of library materials, including reserve operations, recall, and record-keeping.
-
-
Hydraulics. a quantity analogous to work and equal to the line integral of the component of fluid velocity about a closed contour.
idioms
noun
-
the transport of oxygenated blood through the arteries to the capillaries, where it nourishes the tissues, and the return of oxygen-depleted blood through the veins to the heart, where the cycle is renewed
-
the flow of sap through a plant
-
any movement through a closed circuit
-
the spreading or transmission of something to a wider group of people or area
-
(of air and water) free movement within an area or volume
-
-
the distribution of newspapers, magazines, etc
-
the number of copies of an issue of such a publication that are distributed
-
-
library science
-
a book loan, as from a library lending department
-
each loan transaction of a particular book
-
the total issue of library books over a specified period
-
-
a rare term for circulating medium
-
-
(of currency) serving as a medium of exchange
-
(of people) active in a social or business context
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
intercirculationnoun
-
noncirculationnoun
-
precirculationnoun
-
recirculationnoun
-
circulableadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of circulation
1400–50 for an earlier alchemical sense; 1645–55 circulation for def. 1; late Middle English circulacioun < Latin circulātiōn- (stem of circulātiō ), equivalent to circulāt ( us ) ( see circulate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The word circulation refers to the movement of blood through your body's blood vessels and heart. It can also mean free movement in a more general sense, as in the circulation of news, money, or even library books. Circulation of blood is what happens in your body's circulatory system. There are other kinds of circulation too, like sap moving through a plant, air moving freely within a building, or even party guests strolling around your living room. The key thing they all have in common is orderly movement. The Latin root, circulare, means "to form a circle."
Vocabulary lists containing circulation
Weather and Climate - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
National Nurses Week: Common Medical Terms
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After all, the value of physical U.S. currency in circulation today stands at over US$2.46 trillion, an all-time high.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
On her worst days, battling postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome — POTS, a blood circulation disorder — she has struggled to get out of bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Somewhere in the North Atlantic, the floats will keep diving, drifting and surfacing - measuring a circulation that is still moving, still mysterious, and still capable of surprise.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The result was one continuous circulation loop that behaved like a steady planetary heartbeat.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
Mrs. Rimas tried to feed her and massage circulation into her limbs.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
As the world heats unevenly, this causes changes in the atmospheric circulations that steer storms across the planet.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2024
The code has been applied to a wide range of problems, from modeling the dynamics inside individual cells, to ocean and atmospheric circulations.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024
ECCO, the project the new study is based on, simulated ocean circulations using supercomputers from NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and seven other international research entities.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 15, 2022
Monsoonal circulations carry warm, moist air inland from the ocean, which causes rainfall in the summer season.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2021
This time the Lord Chancellor was less pliant, and plainly suggested that the newspapers were actuated in this matter by regard for their circulations.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, July 7th, 1920 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.