in circles
118
4.9
- idiom
- In academic circles, opinions about the latest research can vary greatly depending on personal interpretations.
Examples
-
It is like tossing a stone in the water and watching the ripples spread out in circles.
Fiction book (2002) -
You always polish in straight lines, never in circles.
-
And I feel like you have probably been in circles where the people I'm talking about exist, right?
-
In circles such as this, when the shadow is spoken about so honestly, I have noticed that there is a tendency to see that as showing a blinkered view of reality.
Academic text (2001) -
That's a woman who moves in circles where this sort of thing happens more than it should, and she's tired of being told that she needs to change so that guys don't behave poorly around her.
Blog text (22) -
During the charity event, I was glad to see that I moved in circles with many like-minded individuals who care about the community.
-
He often participates in circles where innovative ideas about technology and sustainability are shared and discussed.
Synonyms
436
3.3
A group of people with shared interests
52
4.9
A small trusted group of people with special power or access in an organization
41
6.4
A small, close group of people who keep others out
40
1.3
People who like each other and spend time together
38
3.9
A group of people who share the same interests or activities
18
2.7
People who meet, talk, and feel they belong together
5
4.1
A group of people who take part in government or party work and share similar views
1
8.1
A small group of people with the same interests who treat each other as special
1
8.2
A group of people who study and talk about religious ideas
1
6.9
A group of people who work at universities or do research and share ideas
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'in' (inside/within) + 'circle' (a group of people) yields 'among a particular group', so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the phrase. The social-group sense of 'circle' and this prepositional construction are common cross-linguistically, supporting full transparency.
Etymology
In circles comes from the idea of people meeting in small groups or 'circles' to share news or ideas, so what happens stays inside that group. That's why it means 'among a particular group of people'.