Circulation

/ˌsɜːrkjʊˈleɪʃən/

nounIntermediateVery CommonTechnology

Definitions

1

The process of something moving continuously along a route or within a system.

/ˌsɜːrkjʊˈleɪʃən/

nounneutralIntermediate
Technology

The movement of something in a circle or system.

The newspaper has a daily circulation of over a million copies.

💡 Simply: Imagine a merry-go-round – that's circulation! It's how things move around in a circle, like blood in your body or money in the economy.

👶 For kids: Things going round and round!

More Examples

2

Improved circulation helped reduce the swelling in his leg.

How It's Used

Medical

"The doctor checked the patient's blood circulation."

Finance

"The circulation of money in the economy is crucial for growth."

Idioms & expressions

In circulation

Being actively used or passed around.

"The rumor is in circulation."

From Middle French circulation, from Latin circulatio, from circulare 'to circle'.

Historically, the word has mainly referred to the movement of money, news, and blood. Its use has expanded to encompass the movement of various things in systems.

Memory tip

Think of a circle - things are constantly moving around.

Base: circulate
circulatincircualtioncircuilation

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written