to circumscribe

Examples

• All

• They've had their freedoms circumscribed just because they don't agree with Putin politically.

  Harvard University

• Debate and discussions continue to be circumscribed by the dominant system of interpretation and its strategies.

  Academic text (1991)

• For so long, his life had been circumscribed by pain and want.

  Fiction book (1995)

• But shame also is something that is circumscribing your environment.

  Lex Fridman

• Yes, my life is circumscribed, but I manage to avoid stress.

  Whatever Works (2009)

• Almost everything teachers do is circumscribed by some law, regulation, or policy.

  Academic text (2015)

• Japan's security strategy is still shaped and circumscribed by its alliance with the United States.

  Academic text (1990)

• So at best, our freedoms would be circumscribed by the tyranny of the majority.

  ReasonTV

• The Aboriginal Peoples Act narrowly circumscribes Orang Asli land and other rights.

  Academic text (2011)

• Children's outdoor play is often circumscribed by the surrounding fences in their yards.

Synonyms

L

to limit

vsto circumscribe

∞ 2.1

To control how much or how often something happens

is about restricting within fixed boundaries rather than only limiting quantity or size

C

to confine

vsto circumscribe

215 4.2

Keep someone or something within limits, for example in a small space

is a general restriction inside set boundaries rather than only physical limits

C

to confine to

vsto circumscribe

106 4.8

To keep something within set limits, for example in a room or a topic

is about limiting inside boundaries rather than assigning to a single area or topic

C

to curb

vsto circumscribe

73 3.5

To limit or control something to stop it getting worse

is a general boundary restriction, not specifically aimed at unwanted behaviour

C

to constrain

vsto circumscribe

64 5.6

To limit what someone can do or how they can act

is a neutral restriction within boundaries rather than forcing choices

C

to clamp down on

vsto circumscribe

13 5.3

Take strong action to stop something bad or illegal

is a neutral limiting within boundaries rather than forceful enforcement to stop things

B

to bound

vsto circumscribe

11 5.3

To form the edge or limit of an area

is used for limiting within boundaries rather than only naming the outer edge

D

to demarcate

vsto circumscribe

4 7.9

To mark the border between two areas with a line or fence

is used to limit or restrict inside marked boundaries rather than just define edges

D

to delimit

vsto circumscribe

• Formal

1 7.0

To mark the edges of an area or idea

is about restricting inside those boundaries rather than merely marking where they lie

H

to hedge

vsto circumscribe

1 6.4

To limit someone by creating boundaries or rules

is a general limit inside set boundaries, not specifically by creating obstacles

D

to delimitate

vsto circumscribe

• Formal

8.7

Set or mark the limits of an area like a project

is a practical restriction within those limits rather than the act of defining them

Antonyms

E

to expand

805 2.5

To grow larger in size, amount, or importance

How Restricted

to confine

215 4.2

to circumscribe

• Formal

6 8.1

to limit

∞ 2.1

to allow

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology