Circled

How to spell circled

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce circled

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does circled mean?

1. verbMoved in a curved path around a central point or object.
2. verbDrew a ring around something to highlight or select it.

Circled in a sentence

• The plane circled the airport for nearly an hour before landing.

• She circled the correct answer on the exam paper.

• A hawk circled slowly above the open field.

• The editor circled every spelling error in red ink.

Where does circled come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the past tense of 'circle', which traces back to the Latin circulus, a diminutive of circus meaning 'ring' or 'circular line'. Circus itself meant a round arena or hoop, so circulus literally described a 'little ring'. The word travelled into Old English as 'circul' for the astronomical sense, then was reshaped through Old French 'cercle' before settling into the modern spelling. The verb sense, to move around something or to draw a ring around it, developed naturally from the noun. The same circulus root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'circulate', 'circuit', and 'circus', and the spelling keeps the original Latin 'circ' intact, which is a useful anchor for remembering it.

How the word is built

• circ- (from Latin circulus: small ring)
• -le (forming the noun/verb 'circle')
• -ed (past tense suffix)