French word

cercle

Pronunciation

IPA/sɛʁkl/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncircle

Example

Trace un cercle autour du dessin.

Draw a circle around the drawing.

Illustration for cercle (circle)

More examples

Cochez le cercle correspondant.

Tick the corresponding circle.

Core concept

A set of points equally distant from one center, with the same round outline also suggesting a social or influential group.

Common phrases

  • dessiner un cercle

    draw a circle

  • tracer un cercle

    trace a circle

  • le rayon du cercle

    the radius of the circle

Similar words

groupe: A group of people united by a shared purpose or connection.
entourage: The close people surrounding a particular person.
disque: A flat, round shape that includes its center.
anneau: An object shaped like a ring with an empty center.

Definition in French

Courbe fermée constituée des points équidistants d'un centre; par extension, ensemble de personnes ou d'éléments formant une unité ou une sphère d'influence.

Word origin

French cercle developed from Latin circulus through the historical vocabulary of French, retaining the basic sense of a round form before gaining figurative group senses.

Usage tips

  • In cercle vicieux, cercle means a self-reinforcing cycle, not a literal ring, and the phrase is a fixed French expression.

Other meanings

  • ringnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word