# circulate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈsɜː.kjʊˌleɪt/ · frequency rank #23,204

## Definitions
1. to move in circles or through a circuit
2. to cause (a person or thing) to move in circles or through a circuit
3. to move from person to person, as at a party
4. to spread or disseminate
5. to become widely known
6. Of decimals: to repeat.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin circulātus, perfect passive participle of Late Latin circulō (“to make circular, encircle”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), a later collateral form of circulor (“form a circle (of men) around oneself”), from circulus (“a circle”). See also Middle English circulat(e) (“(alchemy) changed by continuous distillation in a closed vessel”).

## Easily confused with
- **circular** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/circular-vs-circulate)
- **calculate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/calculate-vs-circulate)

## Common misspellings (13)
`ccirculate`, `cicrulate`, `circculate`, `circluate`, `circualte`, `circulaet`, `circulatte`, `circullate`, `circultae`, `cirrculate`, `ciruclate`, `criculate`, `icrculate`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/circulate