Words with the prefix circum-
circum- means “around; about”, from Latin.
15 examples of the prefix circum-
- circumventcircum- + ventgo around to avoid
- circumstancecircum- + stanceconditions standing around one
- circuitcircum- + itpath going around
- circularcircum- + ularshaped going all around
- circumferencecircum- + ferencedistance around a circle
- circumnavigatecircum- + navigatesail or travel all around
- circumscribecircum- + scribedraw a line around
- circumspectcircum- + spectlooking carefully all around
- circumflexcircum- + flexaccent bent around a letter
- circumlocutioncircum- + locutiontalking around the point
- circumambulatecircum- + ambulatewalk around or about
- circumlunarcircum- + lunarorbiting around the moon
- circumsolarcircum- + solarrevolving around the sun
- circumvallatecircum- + vallatesurround with a rampart
- circumjacentcircum- + jacentlying all around something
How circum- works
The prefix 'circum-' attaches most commonly to Latin verb or noun bases without spelling change, as the final 'm' is stable and does not assimilate to the following consonant the way 'in-' does. It can turn verbs into more directionally specific verbs (navigate → circumnavigate) or contribute to nouns and adjectives describing surrounding conditions.
Watch out: The word 'circumcise' genuinely contains the prefix, but 'circus' does not—it comes directly from Latin 'circus' (ring, circle) without the separable prefix 'circum-' attached to another base.
To see prefixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common prefixes
Questions people ask
What does the prefix circum- mean?
circum- means “around; about”. It comes from Latin. The prefix 'circum-' attaches most commonly to Latin verb or noun bases without spelling change, as the final 'm' is stable and does not assimilate to the following consonant the way 'in-' does. It can turn verbs into more directionally specific verbs (navigate → circumnavigate) or contribute to nouns and adjectives describing surrounding conditions.
What are some examples of words with the prefix circum-?
circumvent, circumstance, circuit, circular, circumference, circumnavigate, circumscribe, circumspect. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the prefix circum- but don’t?
The word 'circumcise' genuinely contains the prefix, but 'circus' does not—it comes directly from Latin 'circus' (ring, circle) without the separable prefix 'circum-' attached to another base.
What is a prefix?
A prefix is a word part added to the front of a base word or root to change its meaning, like un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. It does not usually change the part of speech.