To circumscribe something is to limit its size, activity, or range, but the range of influence of the Latin ancestors of circumscribe knows no bounds.

If you circumscribe a triangle, square, etc., you draw a circle that surrounds it and touches each of its corners.

As traditionally circumscribed, it consists of 36 genera and about 300 species.

Circumscribe definition: to draw a line around; encircle.. See examples of CIRCUMSCRIBE used in a sentence.

To draw a figure around another figure so as to touch as many points as possible. A circle that is circumscribed around a triangle touches it at each of the triangle's three vertices. The …

Definition of circumscribe verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

To circumscribe is to limit or restrict. If you spend too much time watching TV instead of fulfilling other obligations, you might circumscribe your TV-watching time to one hour daily (or two …

Jun 5, 2025 · circumscribe (third-person singular simple present circumscribes, present participle circumscribing, simple past and past participle circumscribed) To draw a line around; to encircle.

Some common synonyms of circumscribe are confine, limit, and restrict. While all these words mean "to set bounds for," circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined …

There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb circumscribe, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.