CIRCULATE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does circulate mean? 

• CIRCULATE (verb)
  The verb CIRCULATE has 8 senses:

1. become widely known and passed on
2. cause to become widely known
3. cause to be distributed
4. move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point
5. move in circles
6. cause to move in a circuit or system
7. move around freely
8. cause to move around

  Familiarity information: CIRCULATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CIRCULATE (verb)

Meaning:

Become widely known and passed on

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

circulate; go around; spread

Context examples:

the rumor spread / the story went around in the office

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Meaning:

Cause to become widely known

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

disseminate; circulate; pass around; circularise; diffuse; broadcast; circularize; spread; disperse; distribute; propagate

Context examples:

spread information / circulate a rumor / broadcast the news

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

air; bare; publicise; publicize (make public)

Cause:

circulate; go around; spread (become widely known and passed on)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circulate"):

sough; sow (introduce into an environment)

generalise; generalize; popularise; popularize; vulgarise; vulgarize (cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use)

carry; run (include as the content; broadcast or publicize)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Meaning:

Cause to be distributed

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

pass around; circulate; distribute; pass on

Context example:

This letter is circulating among the faculty

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circulate"):

scatter; spread; spread out (strew or distribute over an area)

utter (put into circulation)

send around (forward to others)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Meaning:

Move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context examples:

Blood circulates in my veins / The air here does not circulate

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

course; feed; flow; run (move along, of liquids)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circulate"):

ventilate (circulate through and freshen)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Meaning:

Move in circles

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

circle; circulate

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circulate"):

orb; orbit; revolve (move in an orbit)

troll (circulate, move around)

loop (fly loops, perform a loop)

loop (move in loops)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Meaning:

Cause to move in a circuit or system

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The fan circulates the air in the room

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Cause:

circulate (move through a space, circuit or system, returning to the starting point)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circulate"):

convect (circulate hot air by convection)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Meaning:

Move around freely

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

She circulates among royalty

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "circulate"):

drift (move in an unhurried fashion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Meaning:

Cause to move around

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

mobilise; mobilize; circulate

Context example:

circulate a rumor

Hypernyms (to "circulate" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Cause:

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something