# circumscribe

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈsɜː.kəm.skɹaɪb/

## Definitions
1. To draw a line around; to encircle.
2. To limit narrowly; to restrict.
3. To draw the smallest circle or higher-dimensional sphere that has (a polyhedron, polygon, etc.) in its interior.

## Etymology
From Latin circumscrībō, from circum (“around”) + scrībō (“write”). By surface analysis, circum- + scribe.

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