Dictionary

circumvent en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /səːkəmˈvɛnt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Latin circum Latin circum- Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *gʷm̥yéti Proto-Italic *gʷəniō Latin veniō Latin circumveniōlbor. English circumvent Learned borrowing from Latin circumveniō.

Meanings

1. (transitive) to avoid or get around something; to bypass
   • The line turns a sharp right-angle to the north to circumvent the town, and then plunges straight into the 1 in 50, which lasts for nearly 20 miles with few intermissions, and some pitches of 1 in 40. 1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 265:
2. (transitive) to surround or besiege
3. (transitive) to outwit or outsmart
   • We are mortified by not being thought worthy of trust; and there is also a feeling of small triumph in circumventing those who doubt either our inclination or our power of service. 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, pages 279–280:

Forms

Deriveds

circumvental · circumvention · circumventor · circumventer · circumventable · circumventive · circumvential · circumventingly

Relateds

circumventive · circumvention

Translations (74)

hu kikerül (to avoid or get around something) · fr circonvenir (to outwit) · pl udaremnić (to outwit) · es circunvalar (to avoid or get around something) · es contornear (to avoid or get around something) · ca circumvalar (to surround or besiege) · it circondare (to surround or besiege) · pl zwieść (to outwit) · de ausmanövrieren (to outwit) · cmn 規避 /规避 (to avoid or get around something) · it eludere (to avoid or get around something) · fr cerner (to surround or besiege) · ca circumvalar (to avoid or get around something) · da omgå (to avoid or get around something) · da omringe (to surround or besiege) · mi taku (to avoid or get around something) · de umlagern (to surround or besiege) · pl przechytrzyć (to outwit) · ru обойти́ (to outwit) · ru обойти́ (to avoid or get around something) · es contornar (to avoid or get around something) · de umgehen (to avoid or get around something) · es contornar (to surround or besiege) · pl omijać (to avoid or get around something) · pt cercar (to surround or besiege) · uk перехитрити (to outwit) · ca burlar (no en el sentit de mofar) (to outwit) · pl osaczyć (to surround or besiege) · pl zwodzić (to outwit) · es sortear (to outwit) · ca evitar (to avoid or get around something) · ca rodejar (to surround or besiege) · it circonvenire (to avoid or get around something) · ga timpeallaigh (to surround or besiege) · mi hohoni (to avoid or get around something) · ro ocoli (to avoid or get around something) · bg заобиколя́ (to avoid or get around something) · ka გვერდის ავლა (to avoid or get around something) · ro înconjura (to avoid or get around something) · ro conturna (to avoid or get around something) · uk обійти (to avoid or get around something) · pt rodear (to surround or besiege) · hu megkerül (to avoid or get around something) · es burlar (to outwit) · pl obejść (to avoid or get around something) · pl ominąć (to avoid or get around something) · es circunvalar (to surround or besiege) · pl przechytrzać (to outwit) · es rodear (to avoid or get around something) · bg надхитрявам (to outwit) · ka მოტყუება (to outwit) · bg заобика́лям (to avoid or get around something) · pl okrążyć (to surround or besiege) · uk обійти (to outwit) · nl omzeilen (to avoid or get around something) · ka გარს შემოვლა (to avoid or get around something) · ca bordejar (to surround or besiege) · pl udaremniać (to outwit) · pl obchodzić (to avoid or get around something) · es circunvenir (to outwit) · es contornear (to surround or besiege) · pl osaczać (to surround or besiege) · bg изигравам (to outwit) · fr contourner (to avoid or get around something) · mi honi (to avoid or get around something) · pl otaczać (to surround or besiege) · pt contornar (to avoid or get around something) · pl otoczyć (to surround or besiege) · ca contornejar (to surround or besiege) · ru обойти́ (to surround or besiege) · ru обходи́ть (to avoid or get around something) · es soslayar (to avoid or get around something) · sv kringgå (to avoid or get around something) · pl okrążać (to surround or besiege)