Synonyms of circumscribe

circumscribe

verb

ˈsər-kəm-ˌskrīb 

1

as in to limit

to set bounds or an upper limit for

circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• limit
• restrict
• confine
• tighten
• hold down
• hinder
• cap
• impede
• obstruct
• narrow
• suppress
• block
• modify
• hamper
• repress
• lessen
• constrict
• bar
• number
• squeeze
• contract
• quell
• qualify
• pinch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exceed
• expand
• broaden
• widen
• overextend
• overreach

2

as in to define

to mark the limits of

Lake Michigan circumscribes the city of Chicago on the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

• define
• limit
• delimit
• bound
• describe
• demarcate
• mark (off)
• govern
• demark
• terminate
• control
• determine
• delineate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word circumscribe different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of circumscribe are confine, limit, and restrict. While all these words mean "to set bounds for," circumscribe stresses a restriction on all sides and by clearly defined boundaries.

the work of the investigating committee was carefully circumscribed

When can confine be used instead of circumscribe?

Although the words confine and circumscribe have much in common, confine suggests severe restraint and a resulting cramping, fettering, or hampering.

our choices were confined by finances

When is limit a more appropriate choice than circumscribe?

While in some cases nearly identical to circumscribe, limit implies setting a point or line (as in time, space, speed, or degree) beyond which something cannot or is not permitted to go.

visits are limited to 30 minutes

When might restrict be a better fit than circumscribe?

The words restrict and circumscribe can be used in similar contexts, but restrict suggests a narrowing or tightening or restraining within or as if within an encircling boundary.

laws intended to restrict the freedom of the press

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of circumscribe

Two regulatory limits circumscribed Van Pay and Baumert’s calculations: No shelf can spread more than 350 nautical miles from shore, or more than 100 nautical miles beyond 2,500 meters of depth. —Jack Truesdale, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2025

Political rights are severely circumscribed for all Iranians, the Internet is managed by the government, regime opponents are subject to arbitrary arrest, and women are singled out for special controls. —Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025

Challenges abound in the bilateral relationship, and China’s ambitions continue to circumscribe India’s ability to act at the regional and global levels. —Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024

In March 2011, Syria’s uprising was still largely nonviolent, and the Assad government’s response, although criminally disproportionate, was relatively circumscribed, claiming the lives of fewer than 100 Syrians per week. —Alan J. Kuperman, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2019

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