circuit

Meanings

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A complete loop of wire and components through which electric current can travel.

   Grammar: Countable: a circuit, two circuits; often used with electrical.

   Patterns

   • a circuit of something
   • complete a circuit

   The switch breaks the circuit and the light goes out.

   A short circuit tripped the fuse in our kitchen.

   Students built a simple circuit with a battery and a bulb.

2. 2nouncountable

   A route that goes around and comes back to where it began, or one trip along such a route.

   Grammar: Usually takes of or around: a circuit of the park.

   Patterns

   • make a circuit of something
   • do a circuit around something

   We made a circuit of the lake before breakfast.

   The runners completed ten circuits of the track.

   The guard does a circuit of the building every hour.

3. 3nounusually singular

   A regular series of events, venues, or places that performers or competitors travel between.

   Grammar: Often used with the and a sport or activity: the tennis circuit.

   Patterns

   • on the circuit
   • the lecture circuit

   She spent years on the professional golf circuit.

   The author is now on the lecture circuit promoting her book.

   Many comedians build their careers on the club circuit.

Word forms

Common combinations

short circuit

Water caused a short circuit in the old radio.

electrical circuit

Check that the electrical circuit is switched off before repairs.

integrated circuit

Every phone contains an integrated circuit smaller than a fingernail.

complete a circuit

Touching the wire to the battery completes the circuit.

racing circuit

The car crashed on the final lap of the racing circuit.

circuit breaker

The circuit breaker switched off when the heater overloaded.

Synonyms and how they differ

loop

Loop is a more casual word for any closed shape, while circuit stresses a planned route or an electrical path.

lap

Lap means one trip around a track in a race, whereas circuit can name the whole track or a general route.

tour

Tour suggests visiting several places in sequence, not necessarily returning to the start.

Word family

circuitry noun

the system of electric circuits in a device

circuitous adjective

indirect and longer than necessary, as a route

circuit verb

to go all the way around something

circular adjective

shaped like or moving in a circle

Commonly confused: circuit or circus?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “circuit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words