circa C2+ Topic:Grammar & Function Words US /ˈsɚkə/ UK /ˈsɜːkə/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 prep approximately; used with dates to indicate an estimate The manuscript dates from circa 1450, by scholarly consensus. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 prep · approximately; used with... approximatelyaboutaroundroughly ↔ Opposites exactlyprecisely Word family Related forms circlecircuscircuit Etymology AI details Directly from Latin circā ('around, about'), related to circus ('ring, circle') and circum ('around'). circā Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Grammar & Function Words External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # circa **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** prep **IPA (US):** /ˈsɚkə/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈsɜːkə/ ## Meanings 1. approximately; used with dates to indicate an estimate ## Examples - The manuscript dates from circa 1450, by scholarly consensus. ## Synonyms - approximately - about - around - roughly ## Antonyms - exactly - precisely ## Related Forms - circle - circus - circuit ## Roots and Affixes - Root: circā ## Etymology Directly from Latin circā ('around, about'), related to circus ('ring, circle') and circum ('around'). ## AI Etymology Circa is a preposition and adverb meaning "approximately; used with dates to indicate an estimate". Historically, it is directly from Latin circā ('around, about'), related to circus ('ring, circle') and circum ('around'). The historical chain is anchored in Latin circā. Close English family members include circle, circus, and circuit. This keeps the modern preposition and adverb sense tied to the older forms and language sequence behind it. ## Topics - Grammar & Function Words markdown