circumscribe
to restrict or limit something within bounds
Word origin: From Latin circumscribere, to draw a line around (circum around plus scribere to write).
Circumscribe in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing circumscribe in a sentence.
The new law sharply circumscribed the agency's power to act.
The new statute sharply circumscribed the powers the regulator had previously enjoyed.
Using “circumscribe” well
Circumscribe means to draw a boundary around and thereby restrict. The literal image is of drawing a circle to confine something.
More GRE words starting with C
a small secret group plotting against a government or authority
having a hidden or mysterious meaning understood only by initiates
a harsh, jarring mixture of sounds
to obtain something by begging or sponging off others
falling off or shed at an early stage, especially of plant parts
to coax someone into doing something through flattery or persuasion
an event causing great damage, loss, or distress
misty, dim, or dark, and therefore obscure
Questions about “circumscribe”
Learn words the way the GRE tests them.
Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.