as in limited
having distinct or certain limits
the powers of that state's governor are so sharply circumscribed that often his hands are tied by the state legislature
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in restricted
to set bounds or an upper limit for
circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defined
to mark the limits of
Lake Michigan circumscribes the city of Chicago on the east
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circumscribed
Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Thompson-Hernández acknowledges that while Watts might be a small community, a relative sliver of greater Los Angeles, imagination flourishes in the most circumscribed places.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
Joan understands that their circumscribed lives now give their eternity its meaning.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
In reality, as for most visiting celebrities, her itinerary was narrowly circumscribed.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
While Swift’s life is extraordinary, it’s also cloistered by wealth and celebrity; perhaps the range of feelings she’s allowed to experience has become circumscribed.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Barrett understood its more circumscribed project.
—Stefan Fatsis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
There’s a circumscribed way to open the soju bottle, a correct way to pour and drink.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Washingtonians are already sensitive about their circumscribed rights.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Aug. 2025
Larry Pino, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
But the apartheid regime became a police state that heavily circumscribed its white citizens’ lives, too.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
No matter their financial situation, these characters are circumscribed by their situations (class, responsibilities, families) and desire more—or something else entirely.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Their sovereign capacity to realign is circumscribed by the very architectures that protect them.
—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Only one major financial institution is currently investing in a presence downtown, defined as the area circumscribed by I-35, I-30, I-45 and Woodall Rogers Freeway.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Each of Cicellis’s young protagonists arrives at the grim realization that their life is circumscribed not by a god but by the pull of obligation to an undeserving parent or mentor.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Like other forms of self expression, digital-communication technology has become dangerously circumscribed under Trump; only the tools that exist independent of Big Tech seem like safe bets for dissent.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
But recently, Ware said that attacks have been circumscribed to far fewer victims - even when there was the opportunity to kill more.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Yes, their lives have become this circumscribed.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Thompson-Hernández acknowledges that while Watts might be a small community, a relative sliver of greater Los Angeles, imagination flourishes in the most circumscribed places.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
Joan understands that their circumscribed lives now give their eternity its meaning.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
In reality, as for most visiting celebrities, her itinerary was narrowly circumscribed.
—Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
While Swift’s life is extraordinary, it’s also cloistered by wealth and celebrity; perhaps the range of feelings she’s allowed to experience has become circumscribed.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Barrett understood its more circumscribed project.
—Stefan Fatsis, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2025
There’s a circumscribed way to open the soju bottle, a correct way to pour and drink.
—Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Washingtonians are already sensitive about their circumscribed rights.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
Under the Constitution, the concept of a militia is a specific and narrowly circumscribed one.
—Larry Pino, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
But the apartheid regime became a police state that heavily circumscribed its white citizens’ lives, too.
—Eve Fairbanks, The Dial, 27 Jan. 2026
No matter their financial situation, these characters are circumscribed by their situations (class, responsibilities, families) and desire more—or something else entirely.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Their sovereign capacity to realign is circumscribed by the very architectures that protect them.
—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
Only one major financial institution is currently investing in a presence downtown, defined as the area circumscribed by I-35, I-30, I-45 and Woodall Rogers Freeway.
—Sasha Richie, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
Each of Cicellis’s young protagonists arrives at the grim realization that their life is circumscribed not by a god but by the pull of obligation to an undeserving parent or mentor.
—Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Like other forms of self expression, digital-communication technology has become dangerously circumscribed under Trump; only the tools that exist independent of Big Tech seem like safe bets for dissent.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
But recently, Ware said that attacks have been circumscribed to far fewer victims - even when there was the opportunity to kill more.
—NPR, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscribed
Adjective
-
Daryanani also noted that Apple’s recently reported revenue and EPS (earnings per share) for the December quarter exceeded expectations, with the company delivering better-than-expected gross margin, driven by limited memory impact and robust Services growth.—
TipRanks,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Currently, the electronic skin only covers limited surface areas.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The technique is banned by statute in at least one state and prohibited or restricted to low-speeds by some police agencies.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
-
By 1982, the species had been restricted to a single population of just 35 individuals at Epping Forest National Park in Queensland.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In a media landscape increasingly defined by power and influence, the emails offer journalists a cautionary tale and a road map for covering the elite.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Healthcare’s next era will likely be defined by infrastructures that mirror those in fintech or logistics, systems that operate invisibly beneath the surface while enabling every stakeholder to move with confidence.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After a finite amount of time, anything powered by nuclear fusion or infalling matter will run out of fuel.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
What once felt open-ended now feels finite.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Phones, Tablets, and Connected Devices AI isn’t confined to televisions.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, those vibrations confined to the molecular plane were far less affected.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Information would go from bounded to ubiquitous.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The zone is bounded by State Route 237 to the north, Calabazas Creek to the west, Highway 101 and Montague Expressway to the south and the Guadalupe River to the east.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Such a narrow margin means only a handful of disgruntled GOP members are needed to deal a defeat to their party leadership.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
On that day, the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes along a narrow path of totality that sweeps across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circumscribed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribed. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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