circus Meaning & Definition
What Does Circus Mean?
Circus is a noun that means a large arena enclosed by tiers of seats on three or all four sides and used especially for sports or spectacles (such as athletic contests, exhibitions of horsemanship, or in ancient times chariot racing). It is also used to mean a public spectacle.
Quick Facts About Circus
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsər-kəs/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | carnival, genus circus and babel |
| Antonyms | arcadia, heaven and paradise |
| Plural | circuses |
Circus Definition (Noun)
- a large arena enclosed by tiers of seats on three or all four sides and used especially for sports or spectacles (such as athletic contests, exhibitions of horsemanship, or in ancient times chariot racing)
- a public spectacle
- an arena often covered by a tent and used for variety shows usually including feats of physical skill, wild animal acts, and performances by clowns
- a circus performance
- the physical plant, livestock, and personnel of such a circus
- something suggestive of a circus (as in frenzied activity, sensationalism, theatricality, or razzle-dazzle)
a media circus
- circle, ring
- a usually circular area at an intersection of streets
Synonyms of Circus
Antonyms of Circus
Circus in a Sentence
The circus will be in town next week.
Oxford Circus in London is at the north end of Regent Street.
a media circus
with seven kids in the house, it's a circus most of the time
the media circus that took place outside the courthouse every day of the murder trial
the Roman circus is believed to have held 50,000 spectators in ancient times
Word Forms & Grammar
cir·cusy adjective
circus
circuses
circusy
circus (plural circuses or (rare) circusses or (rare) circi)
circus (third-person singular simple present circuses or circusses, present participle circusing or circussing, simple past and past participle circused or circussed)
Words That Rhyme With Circus
Origin of Circus
Origin 1: Middle English, from Latin, circle, circus circle
Origin 2: From Middle English circus, circo, from Latin circus (“ring, circle”), from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos), κίρκος (kírkos, “ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”).[1][2] Doublet of cirque. Cognate with Old English hring (whence English ring) and Old English hringsetl (“circus”, literally “ring-seat”).
First Known Use
14th century
How to Pronounce Circus
You say circus as /ˈsər-kəs/. It has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (sər).
Questions People Ask About Circus
What part of speech is circus?
Circus is a noun.
What is another word for circus?
Words with a similar meaning to circus include carnival, genus circus and babel. See the full list of circus synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of circus?
The plural of circus is circuses.