Meaning & use

circumvents

verb·Advanced

Last updated

Finds a way around an obstacle, rule, or difficulty, often through cleverness rather than direct confrontation.

See it in a sentence

The new software circumvents the usual security checks, which alarms the IT department.

Clever wording in the contract circumvents the restriction entirely.

A note on using this word

From Latin "circum" (around) and "venire" (to come), literally meaning to come around something rather than confront it head-on.

Words with a similar meaning

evadesbypassessidesteps

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

complies with

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