circus
cir·cus/ˈsɝkəs/noun, verb
circus is spelled C-I-R-C-U-S: 6 letters and 2 syllables (cir·cus). It appears 9.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,338th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, circus means “A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of circus is circuses; Wiktionary also lists circusses (rare), circi (rare).
How many letters and syllables are in circus?
| Letters | 6: C-I-R-C-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: cir·cus |
| In writing | 9.5 times per million words; the 7,338th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is circus?
Circus appears 9.5 times per million words in written English, the 7,338th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce circus?
- UK /ˈsɜːkəs/
- US /ˈsɝkəs/
- /sɪɾkəs/
Circus has 2 syllables, split cir·cus in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-circus.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of circus
- circuses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- circusses plural, rare, present, singular, he/she/it
- circi plural, rare
- circusing participle, present
- circussing participle, present
- circused participle, past
- circussed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does circus mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, and other novelty acts, that gives shows usually in a circular tent.
The circus will be in town next week.
- 2
A round open space in a town or city where multiple streets meet.
Oxford Circus in London is at the north end of Regent Street.
- 3
A spectacle; a noisy fuss; a chaotic and/or crowded place.
- 4
datedslangAn undertaking or arrangement.
- 5
rareA group of puffins.
- 6
In the ancient Roman Empire, a building for chariot racing.
- 7
A code name for bomber attacks with fighter escorts in the day time. The attacks were against short-range targets with the intention of occupying enemy fighters and keeping their fighter units in the area concerned.
- 8
obsoleteCircuit; space; enclosure.
verb
- 1
To take part in a circus; or to be displayed as if in a circus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Circus in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cirque |
| German | Zirkus |
| Portuguese | circo , cruzamento |
| Spanish | circo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does circus come from?
From Middle English circus, circo, from Latin circus (“ring, circle”), from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos), κίρκος (kírkos, “ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”). Doublet of cirque. Cognate with Old English hring (whence English ring) and Old English hringsetl (“circus”, literally “ring-seat”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).