English Dictionary
Definition of “circumscribe”
circumscribe (ˌsɜːkəmˈskraɪb
;ˈsɜːkəmˌskraɪb)
Definitions
verb (tr)
- to restrict within limits
- to mark or set the bounds of
- to draw a geometric construction around (another construction) so that the two are in contact but do not intersect Compare inscribe (sense 4)
- to draw a line round
Alternative Forms
ˌcircumˈscribable adjective ˌcircumˈscriber noun Word Origin
C15: from Latin circumscrībere, from circum- + scrībere to write
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
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restrict,
limit,
define,
confine,
restrain,
delineate,
hem in,
demarcate,
delimit,
straiten,
Usage examples
But he liked the feeling of the camera in his hands, liked being able to circumscribe the world through the lens.
Clive Barker, SACRAMENT (2001)`It is based on the amount of walking they have to do to circumscribe the cavity," he says.
New Scientist (1999)Then there is the EU Charter of Human Rights which circumscribe all our actions on these issues.
Sun, News of the World (2001)Their ancestors have devised ceremonies which circumscribe social relationships, marriage, even sexual behaviour.
James Cowan, ABORIGINE DREAMING: Introduction to the Wisdom and Thought of the Aboriginal Traditions of Australia (2002)
