circa

• (abbreviations):
  • c., c, ca., ca
  • cca., cir., circ. (rare)

Learned borrowing from Latin circā.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜː.kə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜɹ.kə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)kə
• Hyphenation: cir‧ca

circa

1. Synonym of around, about, approximately, particularly used with historical dating.

   Coordinate terms: ante, post, ob., r.

   Julius Caesar visited this area circa 50 BC.

   • 2011 January 27, Michael Crowley, “Decision Time for Senator John Thune”, in Time‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 May 2011:

     Political talent scouts have called South Dakota's John Thune "the Republican Obama" because his low profile, youth and presidential bearing recall the unknown Illinois Democrat circa January 2007.

• circum-

• ARCIC, Ricca, craic

• cirka

Borrowed from Latin circa.

• IPA^(key): [ˈt͡sɪrka]

circa

1. circa, approximately

   Synonym: cca

• “circa”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “circa”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

• ca.
• c.

Borrowed from Latin circa.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɪr.kaː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cir‧ca

circa

1. circa: about, approximately

circa

1. circa: about, approximately

   Synonyms: grofweg, pakweg, omstreeks, ongeveer, plusminus, ruwweg, zo'n, pak hem beet

Learned borrowing from Latin circa.

• IPA^(key): /siʁ.ka/

circa

1. approximately, about

• zirka

• IPA^(key): [ˈt͡sɪʁka]

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

circa

1. circa

   Synonyms: etwa, ungefähr

• “circa”, in Cambridge German–English Dictionary‎^[2]
• “circa” in Collins German–English Dictionary
• “circa” in Duden online
• “circa”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[3] (in German)
• “circa” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Learned borrowing from Latin circā.

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃir.ka/
• Rhymes: -irka
• Hyphenation: cìr‧ca

circa

1. regarding, concerning

circa

1. about, approximately

• craci, ricca

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkɪr.kaː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈt͡ʃir.ka]

Later form for circum, or from circum + eā. The accusative is from the adverbial derivation.

circā (not comparable)

1. around; about
2. on both sides

circā (+ accusative)

1. around; near; about
   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita I.7:

     Circa advenam manifestae reum caedis

     around the stranger accused of open murder

2. regarding, concerning
   • c. 347 CE – 420 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Ephesii.6.22:

     quem misi ad vos in hoc ipsum ut cognoscatis quae circa nos sunt et consoletur corda vestra

     Whom I have sent to you for this very thing, so that you can know things that are about us, and so that he can comfort your hearts.

• circātor
• circus

circā (+ ablative)

1. by the reason of, on account of

• quōcircā

• “circa”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “circa”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "circa", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “circa”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• circa in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[4], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• Online Latin dictionary, Olivetti

Ultimately related to etymology 1. Sense 4 is only attested in the form cerca(s); see there for more.

circa f (genitive circae); first declension (Medieval Latin)^[1][2]

1. patrol, watch
2. episcopal visit
3. inquiry, inquest
4. defensive enclosure, moat

Unadapted borrowing from Latin circā.

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡sir.ka/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -irka
• Syllabification: cir‧ca

circa

1. (literary) circa, nearly, almost (in close approximation)

   Synonyms: blisko, koło, mniej więcej, niespełna, niemal, około, prawie, w przybliżeniu

   Na świecie żyje circa 9 mld ludzi. ― There are circa 9 billion people in the world.

• “circa”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[5] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “circa”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[6] (in Polish)

Learned borrowing from Latin circa.

circa

1. approximately, about, or so

   Synonym: cam

Learned borrowing from Latin circā.

• IPA^(key): /ˈθiɾka/ [ˈθiɾ.ka] (Spain, Equatorial Guinea)
• IPA^(key): /ˈsiɾka/ [ˈsiɾ.ka] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -iɾka
• Syllabification: cir‧ca

circa

1. circa

• “circa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025