Words / B2

SURK-uh/ˈsɜːkə/

Circa means about, used before a date when the exact year is not known (abbreviated c.): circa 1200; c. 1850. Approximately is the essay twin; about is everyday. The pot is circa 1200; do not invent a Tuesday. Mix-up: circus (already in the dictionary); circle. Do not use circa before a precise timetabled hour.

Meaning

About; used before a date when the exact year is not known (abbreviated c.).

Examples

• “The pot is circa 1200, the caption said; do not invent a Tuesday.”
• “Write c. 1914 in the timeline if the source is approximate, which is the abbreviation sense.”

Good to know

circa + year; abbreviated c. Everyday: about. Trap: circus. History, archaeology, and captions. About (a date), not “around the building”.

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