cercle vicieux

\sɛʁkl vi.sjø\

/\sɛʁkl vi.sjø\/ noun

The verdict

“cercle vicieux” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Raisonnement circulaire invalide.

Key facts for cercle vicieux
PropertyValue
Headwordcercle vicieux
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\sɛʁkl vi.sjø\
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cercle vicieux” sits in French frequency

cercle vicieux falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for cercle vicieux is 14 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \sɛʁkl vi.sjø\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

cercle vicieux doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is cercle vicieux, spelled C-E-R-C-L-E- -V-I-C-I-E-U-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    Raisonnement circulaire invalide.
  2. 2
    Causes et effets qui s’entretiennent ou s’amplifient mutuellement et dégradent une situation.
  3. 3
    Cercle lié au vice.

Synonyms

pétition de principediallèlecercle logiqueenchaînement diabolique

Antonyms

cercle vertueuxspirale vertueuse

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cercle vicieux"?
"cercle vicieux" is spelled C-E-R-C-L-E- -V-I-C-I-E-U-X. The IPA pronunciation is \sɛʁkl vi.sjø\.
What does "cercle vicieux" mean?
As a noun, "cercle vicieux" means: Raisonnement circulaire invalide.
How do you pronounce "cercle vicieux"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cercle vicieux" is \sɛʁkl vi.sjø\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cercle vicieux" come from?
"cercle vicieux" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cercle vicieux”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is C-E-R-C-L-E- -V-I-C-I-E-U-X - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \sɛʁkl vi.sjø\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list