Circa
preposition
Approximately, around the time of.
He was born circa 1980.

Often appears as...
- circa 1900
- circa 1950
preposition
Used to show dates in history that are not exact.
He lived in Rome circa 75 BC.

Often appears as...
- circa 500 bc
- circa 1500 ad
Usage tips
Academic
preposition
Approximately, around the time of.
He was born circa 1980.

Often appears as...
- circa 1900
- circa 1950
preposition
Used to show dates in history that are not exact.
He lived in Rome circa 75 BC.

Often appears as...
- circa 500 bc
- circa 1500 ad
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2

Not for Precision
Use 'circa' when exact dates are unknown or an estimate is intended.

The artifact dates back to circa 1000 AD.
Common in History
'Circa' is often used in history and archaeology to indicate an approximate time period.

The settlement existed circa 500 BC.
Non-technical Contexts
While 'circa' can be used informally, it's less common in everyday conversation.

She moved to Spain circa 2005.
Not for Precision
Use 'circa' when exact dates are unknown or an estimate is intended.

The artifact dates back to circa 1000 AD.
Common in History
'Circa' is often used in history and archaeology to indicate an approximate time period.

The settlement existed circa 500 BC.
Non-technical Contexts
While 'circa' can be used informally, it's less common in everyday conversation.

She moved to Spain circa 2005.
Not for Precision
Use 'circa' when exact dates are unknown or an estimate is intended.

The artifact dates back to circa 1000 AD.
Common in History
'Circa' is often used in history and archaeology to indicate an approximate time period.

The settlement existed circa 500 BC.
Non-technical Contexts
While 'circa' can be used informally, it's less common in everyday conversation.

She moved to Spain circa 2005.
Video examples
A radical plan to end...
From the resin producers to the brands to the consumers, everyone gets to see who is playing the game, who is protecting the Earth, and who doesn't care. And that'll cost about a million dollars a week, and we're going to underwrite that for five years. Total contribution is circa 300 million US dollars. Wow.
Video examples
The Surprising...
produced by manika wilhelm elana strauss brian gutierrez laura sim and jacob pinter our senior producer is carlo wills our senior editor is eli chen our executive producer of audio is devar artelon our fact checkers are julie beer and robin palmer thanks to karen circa for
Video examples
The Real-Life MacGyver...
fact checkers are robin palmer and julie beer our copy editor is amy kolczak hansdale sue composed our theme music and engineers our episodes thanks to karen circa for archival research and for providing the recording of jacques cousteau heard in this episode
Video examples
Charles Leadbeater:...
They just finished their Kenyan certificate of secondary education. That name should tell you that the Kenyan education system borrows almost everything from Britain, circa 1950, but has managed to make it even worse. So there are schools in slums like this.
Video examples
The creative power of...
Everything that the film was, was all the things that CG animation was then terrible at. It was full of humans, which, they were the weakest thing in CG animation, if you look at humans circa that time. Pixar films had only had humans as minor characters.
Video examples
An Internet Without...
And then we stuck them under the steps. So, they became this very physical, simple reappropriation, or like a portal to these other icons. So you might see Versailles or Shackleton's Hut. Basically, it's virtual reality circa 1955.
Video examples
The gender-fluid history...
mentions male shamans marrying women. The Boxer Codex, circa 1590, provide clues on the nature of the male babaylan sexuality. It says, "Ordinarily they dress as women,
Video examples
Sarah Jones: One woman,...
like, legal freedoms and rights. Yeah, so, like, basically, I'm planning on becoming a lawyer. Right, class. So these next two modules are also circa 2016.
Video examples
Smash fear, learn...
This is Tim Ferriss circa 1979 A.D. Age two. You can tell by the power squat, I was a very confident boy -- and not without reason.
Video examples
The radical beauty of...
that was done circa 1509. It is at the Vatican. This grand group portrait is the exact same size as Rafael's "School of Athens."
Video examples
A radical plan to end...
From the resin producers to the brands to the consumers, everyone gets to see who is playing the game, who is protecting the Earth, and who doesn't care. And that'll cost about a million dollars a week, and we're going to underwrite that for five years. Total contribution is circa 300 million US dollars. Wow.
Video examples
The Surprising...
produced by manika wilhelm elana strauss brian gutierrez laura sim and jacob pinter our senior producer is carlo wills our senior editor is eli chen our executive producer of audio is devar artelon our fact checkers are julie beer and robin palmer thanks to karen circa for
Video examples
The Real-Life MacGyver...
fact checkers are robin palmer and julie beer our copy editor is amy kolczak hansdale sue composed our theme music and engineers our episodes thanks to karen circa for archival research and for providing the recording of jacques cousteau heard in this episode
Video examples
Charles Leadbeater:...
They just finished their Kenyan certificate of secondary education. That name should tell you that the Kenyan education system borrows almost everything from Britain, circa 1950, but has managed to make it even worse. So there are schools in slums like this.
Video examples
The creative power of...
Everything that the film was, was all the things that CG animation was then terrible at. It was full of humans, which, they were the weakest thing in CG animation, if you look at humans circa that time. Pixar films had only had humans as minor characters.
Video examples
An Internet Without...
And then we stuck them under the steps. So, they became this very physical, simple reappropriation, or like a portal to these other icons. So you might see Versailles or Shackleton's Hut. Basically, it's virtual reality circa 1955.
Video examples
The gender-fluid history...
mentions male shamans marrying women. The Boxer Codex, circa 1590, provide clues on the nature of the male babaylan sexuality. It says, "Ordinarily they dress as women,
Video examples
Sarah Jones: One woman,...
like, legal freedoms and rights. Yeah, so, like, basically, I'm planning on becoming a lawyer. Right, class. So these next two modules are also circa 2016.
Video examples
Smash fear, learn...
This is Tim Ferriss circa 1979 A.D. Age two. You can tell by the power squat, I was a very confident boy -- and not without reason.
Video examples
The radical beauty of...
that was done circa 1509. It is at the Vatican. This grand group portrait is the exact same size as Rafael's "School of Athens."
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Paul Di Filippo
American Writer
The advent of AIDS circa 1980 has really forced medicine and biology to take enormous steps just for sheer survival. The same way war propels hard technology, AIDS has created wartime conditions in the field of biology that will have all sorts of spin-offs.

Quote examples
Ricky Reed
American Musician
When I started trying to produce records for other people, one of the first tracks I wrote and produced was sort of a 'Kelly Clarkson circa 2008,' kind of big-brassy, guitar-pop, rock song. I was like, 'I can do this. I can make pop songs.' It was bad.

Quote examples
Kirsten Prout
Canadian Actress
I like sundresses with cowboy boots, little shorts with big wedge heels and a big piece of turquoise. I also love classic, Old Hollywood romantic styles. I'm 'country girl meets city girl' circa 1930.

Quote examples
Gregory Smith
Canadian Actor
When I was 16, I was in a film called 'The Patriot.' I spent every second I could on the set watching the director and his team bring America circa 1775 to life. From that moment on, I was hooked.

Quote examples
Mark V. Hurd
American Businessman
My daughter's got a smartphone in her hand with roughly the same power as a mainframe circa 1982, and she's running around Beijing and wants an answer as fast as she can.

Quote examples
Heavy D
Jamaican Musician
The hardest thing for an artist to do is to let go. I don't wanna be the dude - if you come to my house, there are no pictures circa '86 in my house.

Quote examples
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Irish Scientist
When I became a professor of physics circa 1991, I doubled the number of female professors of physics in the U.K.

Quote examples
Ron Fournier
American Journalist
I'm hearing echoes of Bill Clinton, circa 1996, in President Obama's reelection rhetoric.

Quote examples
Andy Jassy
American Businessman
When you experience great voice apps, it makes tapping on an app so circa 2005.

Quote examples
Michael Wolff
American Author
The Steve Bannon I know - I locate Steve's politics as a Democrat circa 1962.

Quote examples
Paul Di Filippo
American Writer
The advent of AIDS circa 1980 has really forced medicine and biology to take enormous steps just for sheer survival. The same way war propels hard technology, AIDS has created wartime conditions in the field of biology that will have all sorts of spin-offs.

Quote examples
Ricky Reed
American Musician
When I started trying to produce records for other people, one of the first tracks I wrote and produced was sort of a 'Kelly Clarkson circa 2008,' kind of big-brassy, guitar-pop, rock song. I was like, 'I can do this. I can make pop songs.' It was bad.

Quote examples
Kirsten Prout
Canadian Actress
I like sundresses with cowboy boots, little shorts with big wedge heels and a big piece of turquoise. I also love classic, Old Hollywood romantic styles. I'm 'country girl meets city girl' circa 1930.

Quote examples
Gregory Smith
Canadian Actor
When I was 16, I was in a film called 'The Patriot.' I spent every second I could on the set watching the director and his team bring America circa 1775 to life. From that moment on, I was hooked.

Quote examples
Mark V. Hurd
American Businessman
My daughter's got a smartphone in her hand with roughly the same power as a mainframe circa 1982, and she's running around Beijing and wants an answer as fast as she can.

Quote examples
Heavy D
Jamaican Musician
The hardest thing for an artist to do is to let go. I don't wanna be the dude - if you come to my house, there are no pictures circa '86 in my house.

Quote examples
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Irish Scientist
When I became a professor of physics circa 1991, I doubled the number of female professors of physics in the U.K.

Quote examples
Ron Fournier
American Journalist
I'm hearing echoes of Bill Clinton, circa 1996, in President Obama's reelection rhetoric.

Quote examples
Andy Jassy
American Businessman
When you experience great voice apps, it makes tapping on an app so circa 2005.

Quote examples
Michael Wolff
American Author
The Steve Bannon I know - I locate Steve's politics as a Democrat circa 1962.

Example 1 of 10
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