Circle: meaning, definitions and examples

In social or professional settings, referring to a group of people related by common interests or activities.

• She is well-known in academic circles
• His close circle of friends supported him

To describe a circular band, often made of metal, used as jewelry or a simple circular shape.

• She wore a beautiful gold ring
• The children stood in a ring around the teacher

When describing something that is shaped like a circle or has a curved form, often in everyday objects and contexts.

• Cut the pie into round slices
• The ball is perfectly round

For describing a shape or motion where something goes around and comes back to the starting point, often in a continuous curve. Also, commonly used in computing to refer to repetitive sequences.

• He tied a loop in the rope
• The program runs in a continuous loop until a condition is met

A circle is used when referring to a simple, two-dimensional, curved shape where all points are an equal distance from the center. It is used in general conversations and basic geometric contexts.

• Draw a circle on the paper.
• The children formed a circle in the playground.

A disk typically describes a flat, round object that is often solid. It is commonly used in contexts related to physical objects like disks in biology or computers.

• The doctor showed me an X-ray of my spinal disk.
• You need to insert the installation disk into the computer.

A roundel is often used in specific contexts, such as architecture, art, and heraldry, to describe a small disk, especially one used as an emblem or decorative element.

• The roundel on the building's facade was beautifully decorated.
• Military aircraft often have a roundel painted on their fuselage.

An annulus is used in more technical or mathematical contexts to describe a ring-shaped object, especially one that has a central hole. It is often used in engineering, architecture, and advanced geometry.

• The annulus of Saturn's rings is magnificent.
• In mathematics, an annulus is the region between two concentric circles.

Use when describing the basic shape or the action of moving in a round route.

• She drew a perfect circle on the paper.
• The children circled around the teacher.

Use when you want to describe something forming a ring around something else, often indicating protection or containment.

• The soldiers encircled the camp.
• The city was encircled by mountains.

Use when talking about the curved path of a celestial object around a star, planet, or moon.

• The satellite is in a stable orbit around the Earth.
• Scientists study the orbit of planets to understand the solar system.

Use when describing something all around another thing, commonly used to describe something completely enclosing or encompassing.

• The house is surrounded by a large garden.
• They were surrounded by enemies on all sides.