Circumscribe

Pronunciation: /ˈsɜːrkəmˌskraɪb/

Definitions of circumscribe

verb to restrict or limit within certain boundaries or lines

Example Sentences

A1 The teacher circumscribed the area for the students to play in.

A2 The rules of the game circumscribe how players can move on the board.

B1 The company policy circumscribes the use of personal devices at work.

B2 The legal agreement circumscribes the rights of both parties involved.

C1 The government decided to circumscribe the power of the monopoly through new regulations.

C2 The artist's vision was circumscribed by the limitations of the materials available.

Examples of circumscribe in a Sentence

formal The boundaries of the property are circumscribed by a tall fence.

informal We can only play within the circumscribed area of the park.

slang Don't circumscribe me with your rules, let me live my life.

figurative His fear of failure circumscribed his ability to take risks and try new things.

Grammatical Forms of circumscribe

• past tense: circumscribed
• plural: circumscribes
• comparative: more circumscribed
• superlative: most circumscribed
• present tense: circumscribe
• future tense: will circumscribe
• perfect tense: has circumscribed
• continuous tense: is circumscribing
• singular: circumscribe
• positive degree: circumscribe
• infinitive: to circumscribe
• gerund: circumscribing
• participle: circumscribed

Origin and Evolution of circumscribe

First Known Use: 1400 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'circumscribe' originated from the Latin word 'circumscribere', which is a combination of 'circum' meaning 'around' and 'scribere' meaning 'to write or draw'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense of drawing a boundary or limit around something, 'circumscribe' has evolved to also mean restricting or limiting something in a figurative sense.