often attributive
1
a
: 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)
b
: a public spectacle
2
a
: 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
b
: a circus performance
c
: the physical plant, livestock, and personnel of such a circus
d
: something suggestive of a circus (as in frenzied activity, sensationalism, theatricality, or razzle-dazzle)
a media circus
Examples of circus in a Sentence
He worked for a small circus.
We're going to the circus.
Recent Examples on the Web
From the foothills of the Berkshires arises a venerable strain of American madness, the poetry of hokum—the old weird America of medicine shows and travelling circuses and carnivals.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
All three were captured in the wild and spent time in circuses and other zoos before coming to Barcelona.
—Joseph Wilson The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 14 Apr. 2025
State of play: Programming includes outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry and children's programs that aim to spotlight the Bay Area's rich heritage and creativity.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
The work tells the magical story of Villa Constitución, a town in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, where a strange circus arrives to revolutionize the lives of its inhabitants.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circus
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Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
All three were captured in the wild and spent time in circuses and other zoos before coming to Barcelona.
—Joseph Wilson The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 14 Apr. 2025
State of play: Programming includes outdoor music, theater, circus, dance, poetry and children's programs that aim to spotlight the Bay Area's rich heritage and creativity.
—Shawna Chen, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
The work tells the magical story of Villa Constitución, a town in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, where a strange circus arrives to revolutionize the lives of its inhabitants.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for circus
Cite this Entry
“Circus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circus. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
circus
noun
cir·cus
ˈsər-kəs 
1
: a large arena enclosed by rows of seats (as in ancient Rome)
2
a
: a show that usually travels from place to place and that has a variety of exhibitions including acrobatic feats, wild animal displays, and performances by clowns
b
: a circus performance
c
: the performers and equipment of such a circus
d
: something that suggests a circus
Etymology
from Latin circus "circle, arena"
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