Circumscribe

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈsɜː.kÉ™m.skɹaɪb/
• US IPA: /ˈsɝ.kÉ™m.skɹaɪb/
• Rhymes: -aɪb

Origin

From Latin circumscrībō, from circum ("around") + scrībō ("write"). Surface analysis: -("around") + scribe("write").

Full definition of circumscribe

Verb

1. To draw a line around; to encircle.
2. To limit narrowly; to restrict.
• 2013-06-07, David Simpson, Fantasy of navigation, It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in the basket a balloon: …; perhaps to moralise on the oneness or fragility of the planet, or to see humanity for the small and circumscribed thing that it is; ….
3. (geometry) To draw the smallest circle or higher-dimensional sphere that has (a polyhedron, polygon, etc.) in its interior.

Derived terms

• circumscription

Related terms

• -scribe