circumscribe
verb /ˈsɜːkəmskraɪb/
/ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪb/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they circumscribe | /ˈsɜːkəmskraɪb/ /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪb/ |
| he / she / it circumscribes | /ˈsɜːkəmskraɪbz/ /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪbz/ |
| past simple circumscribed | /ˈsɜːkəmskraɪbd/ /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪbd/ |
| past participle circumscribed | /ˈsɜːkəmskraɪbd/ /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪbd/ |
| -ing form circumscribing | /ˈsɜːkəmskraɪbɪŋ/ /ˈsɜːrkəmskraɪbɪŋ/ |
- [often passive] (formal) to limit somebody/something’s freedom, rights, power, etc. synonym restrict
- be circumscribed (by something) The power of the monarchy was circumscribed by the new law.
- be circumscribed in something They are still highly circumscribed in their authority.
- circumscribe something (specialist) to draw a circle around another shape
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin circumscribere, from circum ‘around’ + scribere ‘write’.